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| Taking picture after signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between UMM and the Situbondo Food, Horticulture and Plantation Agency. |
Professor of Animal Husbandry Faculty (FPP) University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), Prof. Dr. Ir Indah Prihartini hoped that an organic farming in Situbondo regency could affect marketing of organic rice both nationally and internationally.
Therefore, UMM through a team led by Indah Prihartini began to intensively assist the organic farming in Situbondo Regency. It was also to followed up the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between UMM and the Situbondo Food, Horticulture and Plantation Agency on 5 October. Previously, Situbondo Regent Dadang Wigiarto even has requested UMM to send experts to assist the development of organic farming clusters.
The UMM’s help included the planning of organic rice development, determining the location of development based on region potential, human resources development within farmer groups such training, and an assistance of organic farming from upstream to downstream.
"Also to control productivity of soil and crops, paddy quality, even the management of farmer groups as organic actors," Indah explained.
After obtaining a good organic rice quality, the next step was to synergize the Situbondo Farmer Group with an institution or company that has been moved in the field of organic rice selling.
Not only the organic rice, Indah would target an organic sugar cane which was considered having many benefits. In addition, cane sugar becomes a potential crop because 50 percent of Situbondo area overgrowned by sugar cane, and there were three sugar factories there.
In general, this lecture hoped that farmer welfare of Situbondo regency could be increased. The Increasing of welfarre was seen from the good rice price, followed by the quality of rice productivity was also good.
"The quality and quantity of good organic rice are determined by good cultivation process too and we will accompany until it is realized," he said.
In line with her expectations, Indah admitted that this project added a plus value to UMM due to laboratories exist as students and lecturers facilities to develop a competence of organic farming. (Naz)
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