Indonesia's new farming system targets 12.4 tons per hectare: minister

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Modern Agriculture-Advanced Agriculture System (PM-AAS) could increase rice productivity to as much as 12.4 tons per hectare to support sustainable food self-sufficiency, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said.

The system was developed through nearly two years of research and field trials, Amran said in a statement on Saturday.

"After nearly two years of research and field trials, I am increasingly confident this method can significantly increase production. Our initial target is 10 tons per hectare, but field trials have already reached 12.4 tons," he said.

PM-AAS combines Indonesia's jajar legowo planting system with modern cultivation practices studied in Arkansas, the United States, and precision agriculture technologies developed in China.

Amran said the system is built on three principles: optimizing plant photosynthesis through 4:1 and 6:1 planting patterns, increasing crop populations through continuous planting, and applying precision agriculture to improve the efficiency of production inputs.

The system could increase plant populations from around 300,000–360,000 clumps per hectare to between 800,000 and one million, making significantly higher yields achievable, the minister added.

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"If implemented properly, fertilizer and water costs can be reduced substantially. Inputs decline, but yields increase. That is where farmers' profits will rise," he remarked.

According to Amran, higher productivity and lower production costs are essential to maintaining sustainable rice self-sufficiency while supporting President Prabowo Subianto's vision of making Indonesia a global food hub.

He added that the government will provide seed assistance and technical support to help farmers adopt the system, with agricultural extension officers leading implementation in the field.

Amran expressed optimism that PM-AAS would not only strengthen food self-sufficiency but also generate a production surplus to support future exports.

Earlier, during the 17th National Farmers and Fishers Week in Gorontalo on June 24, Prabowo praised PM-AAS technology, saying innovations in agriculture would strengthen Indonesia's ambition to become a global food producer.

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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Raka Adji

Editor: Anton Santoso

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