Lamongan (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Harvick Hasnul Qolbi, participated in corn planting in Takerharjo village, Solokuro sub-district, Lamongan district, East Java, as part of an effort to boost national production."This planting will continue to be carried out in various regions to increase national production because currently, the Ministry of Agriculture is focusing on increasing corn and rice production," he informed in Lamongan on Tuesday.
He participated in the corn planting activity, which covered an area of 28 hectares, with the head of Lamongan district, Yuhronur Efendi, and the deputy head of Lamongan district, Abdul Rouf.
"We are promoting rice and corn. As the President hopes, rice and corn production in 2024 can increase national food reserves to achieve self-sufficiency," he said.
The deputy minister further said he hopes that regional governments will play an active role in supporting national food security, especially for rice and corn commodities.
"Moreover, some time ago, we faced El Nino, which caused the planting season to be postponed," he noted.
Meanwhile, Lamongan district head Efendi said that the area is among the national food barns. In 2022, total corn production in the district reached 1.2 million tons, making it the largest corn producer in East Java.
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He expressed the hope that the presence of the deputy minister would encourage farmers in Lamongan even in the midst of uncertain weather.
"This shows that the quality of agriculture in Lamongan district is improving and provides prosperity for farmers," he added.
He said that the agricultural sector in Lamongan district made the largest contribution of 33 percent to the regional gross domestic product (GRDP) in 2023. In addition, the farmer exchange rate (NTP) increased from 114 in 2022 to 116 in 2023.