Starfruit (malangkota.go.id) – The irrigation system is one of the determinants of the success of the rice harvest, so it must be maintained so that the water can flow smoothly. Even though farmers use superior seeds and sufficient fertilizer, if the irrigation is not good, the harvest will not be optimal and even worse can cause crop failure.
This was conveyed by the Head of the Agriculture and Food Security Service (Dispangtan) of Malang City, Slamet Husnan Hariyadi, Friday (12/7/2024). If the rice harvest is maximized, it can support food needs or the food self-sufficiency program. Therefore, he said that irrigation is one of the important concerns for Dispangtan.
"Last year we repaired 11 tertiary irrigation networks in three sub-districts, namely in Kedungkandang Sub-district, Sukun Sub-district and Lowokwaru Sub-district. This repair is a step to smooth the flow of water to farmers' rice fields, so that the water needs of rice plants are met properly," added Slamet.
Currently, there are several farmers and Farmers Group Associations (Gapoktan) who are requesting the repair of this irrigation network. As a follow-up, an inspection will be carried out to the location, whether it is a tertiary, secondary or primary irrigation network.
"From the results of the inspection, if it is a tertiary irrigation network, it will be repaired by the Malang City Dispangtan. However, if it is a secondary or primary irrigation network, then it is the domain of the PUPR Ministry, and we will continue to coordinate so that everything can be resolved properly," explained Slamet.
Slamet further explained that the damage to the irrigation network could be triggered by various things, such as age, sedimentation, grass or wild plants and natural disasters in the form of floods. "That is the result of our officers' observations in the field, and in the future monitoring will be carried out more intensively," he concluded. (say/yon)
