Petani Jagung Kering Keerom Panen Perdana di masa Pandemi Covid-19

Meski dalam suasana pandemi Covid-19, Petani Kampung Arsopura, Distrik Skanto, Kabupaten Keerom, Papua, melakukan panen perdana jagung kering. Tak tanggung-tanggung total hasil panen perdana diperkirakan mencapai 60 ton.

Panen perdana itu mendapat apresiasi Penjabat sementara (Pjs) Bupati Keerom, Dr. Muhammad Ridwan Rumasukun, SE, MM yang secara langsung hadir meresmikan panen di lahan seluas 12 hektar itu, Minggu. 

“Saya sangat mengapresiasi pelaksanaan kegiatan panen perdana jagung di Arsopura. Sebab hal ini dapat menggerakkan para petani untuk tetap produktif di tengah kondisi perekonomian yang terdampak Covid-19,” kata ia.

Sementara itu, hasil panen jagung tersebut ditanam sejak Februari 2020 lalu. 

Kepala Dinas Pertanian dan Perikanan Kabupaten Keerom, Sunar mengatakan pada saat itu, para petani sebelumnya sempat kesulitan memasarkan hasil tanamnya berupa palawija karena daya beli masyarakat menurun.

Melihat hal tersebut, ia pun berinisiatif mencari solusi dan menemukan bila ada peluang menanam jagung kering yang pasarnya terbuka luas di Kabupaten Blitar, Jawa Timur.

“Setelah dilakukan refokusing dan realokasi anggaran, tersedia dana Rp 7 miliar untuk mengatasi dampak ekonomi covid-19 yang kemudian direalisasikan untuk membeli bibit jagung, pestisitda, alat tanam dan panen”.

“Apaagi ada 64 kelompok tani yang melaksanakan kegiatan kampung sentra jagung dengan menggunakan dana dari hasil realokasi anggaran Covid-19. Total sebanyak 1.128 petani yang terlibat kegiatan ini,” kata Sunar.

Arsopura termasuk dari salah satu dari 38 kampung di Keerom yang melaksanakan program sentra jagung dengan total luas lahan mencapai 1.000 hektar. 

Adapun dalam program ini,  Dinas Pertanian dan Perikanan Kabupaten Keerom,  menyiapkan mesin tanam,  benih,  pupuk,  mesin untuk panen jagung dan alat untuk mengurangi kadar air dalam jagung dari hasil realokasi anggaran untuk dampak Covid-19.

Even in the Covid-19 pandemic, Arsopura Village Farmers, Skanto District, Keerom Regency, Papua, conducted the first harvest of dried corn. The total responsibility of the initial crop is estimated to be 60 tons.

The inaugural harvest received the appreciation of the Acting Regent of Keerom, Dr. Muhammad Ridwan Rumasukun, SE, MM who was directly present to inaugurate the harvest on the 12 hectares.

"I really appreciate the implementation of the first harvest of corn in Arsopura. Because this can move farmers to remain productive amid the economic conditions affected by Covid-19," he said.

Meanwhile, the corn crop has been planted since February 2020.

Head of Keerom District Agriculture and Fisheries Office, Sunar said at the time, farmers had previously had difficulty marketing their crops in the form of secondary crops because the purchasing power of the community was declining.

Seeing this, he also took the initiative to find a solution and find if there is an opportunity to grow dried corn whose market is wide open in Blitar Regency, East Java.

"After refocusing and budget reallocation, 7 billion IDR was available to overcome the economic impact of Covid-19 which was then realized to buy corn seeds, pesticides, planting and harvesting tools. There are 64 farming groups that carry out the activities of corn centers using funds from the reallocation of covid-19 budget. A total of 1,128 farmers were involved in this activity," Sunar said.

Arsopura is one of 38 villages in Keerom that carry out a corn center program with a total land area of 1,000 hectares.

In this program, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department of Keerom prepares planting machines, seeds, fertilizers, machinery for harvesting corn and tools to reduce water content in corn from budget reallocation results for the impact of Covid-19.