BANYUASIN, SOUTH SUMATRA — Dompet Dhuafa’s South Sumatra Branch (DD Sumsel) in collaboration with Tay Juhana Foundation (TJF) organized an agricultural workshop on Suboptimal Land Agriculture on Thursday (9/11/2023). Named Suboptimal Land Agriculture Initiatives (SLAI), the workshop attracted farmers from Sumber Makmur Village. The purpose of this agricultural workshop was to provide insight and understanding about the management and optimization of suboptimal land.
The workshop began with Tay Juhana Foundation introducing the concept of suboptimal land. This was followed by Alfiansyah B, S.P., M.Si., from the local Department of Agriculture, who discussed optimizing swamp land agriculture. Anton Hermadi, S.P., then delved into relevant policies, and Marlin Sefrila, S.P., M.Si., from Sriwijaya University, addressed challenges in this field. Habibullah, S.P., also from Sriwijaya University, provided insights into pest and disease management.
Additionally, Habibullah, S.P., from Sriwijaya University, shared information on challenges and solutions related to pests and plant diseases. Thus, this agricultural workshop became a platform for farmers to gain a better understanding of the issues commonly faced in the field.
At the end of the workshop, Junaidi Hutasuhut, the District Coordinator of ICRAF, shared best practices from ICRAF Banyuasin on land management. Participants were encouraged to discuss and share their experiences in overcoming challenges in suboptimal land agriculture.
Dompet Dhuafa Sumsel hopes that this workshop will enable farmers to fully understand how to manage and optimize suboptimal land.
“We hope the farmers will gain a better understanding of how to manage and optimize the existing suboptimal land, and about the pests and diseases often encountered in the field,” said Rizki Asmuni, Branch Leader of Dompet Dhuafa Sumsel.
“They could also directly ask the experts we presented today. Thus, when they face issues in the field, they already know what the solutions are,” he continued.
Ika Zahara Qurani, Program Manager of Tay Juhana Foundation, also provided solutions for suboptimal land.
“In swamp areas, it’s crucial to build embankments around the fields to prevent flooding during high tide,” she said.
“One of the solutions is to construct embankments and educate farmers on how to prevent crop contamination with pyrite. Additionally, providing fertilizers and superior seeds as further steps to enhance agricultural productivity,” added Ika. (Dompet Dhuafa/Sumsel)