Merauke, Jubi – Merauke’s Logistics Agency (Bulog) said it is capable of keeping stock of up to 500 tons of rice a day.
Bulog said the rice stock at Merauke Bulog’s warehouse is currently 23 million tons and the target of 29 million tones in rice stock for 2014 is achievable, its head H. Slamet Kurniawan told Jubi at his office on Wednesday (15/10).
He said during the last few months, farmers have struggled to irrigate their paddy fields, making them unable to plant and cultivate.
But fortunately they keep the grains at their houses. “I have conducted monitoring in the villages and found the farmers keep the grains, but they just won’t sell them. They will grind all the grains towards the rainy season, for they can use the money for their capital in the next cultivating season,” he said.
He further said, although several farmers decided to keep the grains, some of them wanted to sell them through Bulog’s partners. “Our partners dropped around 150 tons of rice to our warehouse almost every day. Therefore, we could achieve our target at the end of this year,” he said.
About the opening of cultivating land and paddy fields in the some villages, Kurniawan said his office is fully supporting this. “I always discuss with the Head of Plantation and Agricultural of Merauke Regency, Bambang Dwiatmoko about the progress of people’s harvesting,” he said.
He admitted the Merauke Bulog and its partners bought the paddy harvest from the local farmers in Serapu and Wasur. “I always remind our partners to keep approaching the local farmers or transmigration residents for buying and grinding their grains,” he said.
About the price, Slamet Kurniawan said his office was referring to the Merauke Regent’s instruction to cost starting at six thousand rupiah. It also applied to its partners. He added, the farmers would possibly start cultivation in January 2015, because the rainy season was predicted happening in November to Desember. “It was according to Bambang Dwiatmoko,” he said.
In separate place, the Head of Plantation and Agricultural of Merauke Regency Bambang Dwiatmoko said his office already assigned their field agricultural officers to the sub-districts and villages. They would help the farmers, encourage and motivate the farmers to open the plantation land as well as to cultivate the paddy. (Frans L Kobun/Victor Mambor/rom)
