Klojen (malangkota.go.id) – As an effort to optimize the distribution of subsidized fertilizers, the Malang City Government (Pemkot) through the Food Security and Agriculture Service (Dispangtan) held the Coordination Meeting (Rakor) II of the Malang City Fertilizer and Pesticide Supervision Commission (KP3) Team at the Aria Gajayana Hotel, Thursday (7/11/2024).
Assistant for Economy and Development of the Regional Secretariat (Setda) of Malang City Diah Ayu Kusuma Dewi who was present and opened the activity said, according to the direction of the Acting Mayor of Malang, the Malang City Dispangtan was asked to monitor and evaluate the distribution process of subsidized fertilizer.
Periodic evaluation, he said, is needed to see several objects, including the suitability of the retail price of fertilizer set by the government with that circulating in the market. Then the allocation is whether it is appropriate or not, because for the allocation there is already a plot based on the Mayor's Decree so that later it will be seen how much and where the fertilizer is obtained by the Farmer Group (Poktan).
"Later we can see, the distribution of fertilizers starting from the top, to distributors, to kiosks and then farmers, we who supervise it are parallel to one. Then the farmers must also be monitored by Dispangtan and the KP3 Team," he explained.
In the future, Diah hopes that the management of subsidized fertilizer and pesticide distribution can run better and optimally for farmers' businesses, especially those in Malang City. Technically, she explained, the Malang City Dispangtan and KP3 consisting of the District Attorney's Office, Police, and related Regional Apparatus (PD) will later check the distribution locations. The results of further monitoring will be reported so that if necessary, intervention can be carried out immediately to resolve the problem effectively and efficiently.
"In addition, the Malang City Agriculture and Food Security Agency also has extension workers in locations who always listen to what farmers complain about and then report it to the head of the regional apparatus. So if there is something that needs to be intervened, the head of the agency can immediately hold a meeting and decide what it should be like," he added.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Malang City Agriculture and Food Security Agency, Slamet Husnan Hariadi, said that in 2024 more than 2.000 farmers received fertilizer subsidies. In 2025, it is proposed that 2.500 farmers will receive fertilizer subsidy assistance. Slamet also revealed that in early 2024, Malang City received additional subsidized fertilizer so that the distribution to farmers could also be greater.
"Initially, urea fertilizer was only 307 tons, but it became 526 tons. Then, NPK fertilizer, which was initially only 327 tons, received an additional 701 tons, and the realization in the first planting season was 262,85 tons, and God willing, in the second planting season, we can absorb 438 tons," he explained.
Regarding its absorption, Slamet explained that maximum absorption is driven through farmer groups to immediately redeem their subsidies. Usually, automatic absorption occurs when farmers start planting where fertilizer is definitely needed, so that directly, absorption will increase once farmers plant. However, the planting period carried out by farmers varies.
"Farmers have different planting periods. In one area or land, sometimes the plots are different, some have already harvested, some are only one month old, some have just started cultivating the land, it is indeed adjusted to the availability of farm laborers in Malang City which is still small so we need to drill from Malang Regency including taking turns using the tractor," he said.
Slamet further explained that in Malang City there are usually 2,5 planting seasons. Currently, the Malang City Agriculture and Food Security Agency is trying to increase the planting season to three times in one planting year.
"Currently, there are still 2,5 planting seasons with half overlapping to the following year because the rice planting season is 102 days. Well, to increase it to three planting seasons, we are still in the process of trying to use superior genjang variety commodities from Situbondo Regency, namely BK1 and BK2, the planting season is shorter, namely 75 and 80 days," he concluded. (iu/yn)
