The Indonesia Central Sulawesi Rises in the middle of Covid-19 with Organic Garlic

  

The Indonesia Central Sulawesi Rises in the middle of Covid-19 with Organic Garlic

By Rasdi Wangsa- Organic Agriculture Activist and National Coordinator of The Traditional Wisdom Network/Jaringan Kearifan Tradisional Indonesia (JKTI)

 

 

The trauma and impact of the tectonic earthquake, tsunami and liquefaction did not end after September 28, 2018, and then followed by the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, but did not dampen the enthusiasm and efforts of the Department of Agriculture and Horticulture in Central Sulawesi Province and farmers in Central Sulawesi to advance sustainable agriculture in this area. National and international trends regarding sustainable agriculture or organic farming have been welcomed and realized by the Central Sulawesi province's agriculture service.

 

  Happy smiles from organic farmers in 3 villages in Marawola Barat sub-district, Sigi district, namely Lewara Village, Dombu, Soi, and also the office staff of the Department of Food Crops and Horticulture Agriculture Province of Food Crops and Horticulture in Central Sulawesi Province looks so happy even though it is only visible from submissions taking pictures. Photos and good news about the success of planting and producing organic garlic from Lewara village covering an area of ​​10 ha, Dombu village 15 ha, and Soi village 10 ha were sent via WhatsApp messages by a friend during my studies at the Faculty of Agriculture, Tadulako University, Palu, Ir. Ramdan Toampo, MSc who now works as an ASN in the Department of Agriculture and Horticulture in Central Sulawesi Province. The desire to immediately visit Palu is very strong to see and talk directly with them but the Covid-19 pandemic requires me to be patient to postpone departure there someday.

The first planting of garlic was carried out in Lewara village on February 13, 2020. The project of the Indonesia Central Sulawesi Province's Agriculture and Horticulture Office is an environmentally friendly vegetable development program, with the commodities developed being 35 ha of garlic. Government assistance provided through this program is in the form of seeds, mulch, "likat kuning" (yellow sticky trap), and liquid biofertilizers. The total garlic development program in Central Sulawesi in 2019 was 495 ha. Donggala Regency 85 ha, Sigi district 100 ha (Marawola sub-district, Lewara village, Dombu and soi 35 ha organic), Parigi Moutong district 100 ha, Poso district 150 ha and Banggai district 60 ha.

 

Garlic plants are planted in beds with a size of 1.5 x 20 meters and a spacing of 20 x 40 cm. Using plastic mulch as an effort to control weeds and pests and diseases is very helpful in the cultivation of garlic. The varieties planted are Sangga Sembalun varieties from NTB. Planted in the village of Dombu Matantimali altitude of 1,300 m above sea level. The number of farmers involved is approximately 100 people in the 3 villages. The organic area in the 3 villages was certified by the organic certification body in 2019 but only for strawberries, kidney beans, leeks, and other vegetables.

 

This garlic development program is spread in Parigi Moutong Regency covering an area of ​​100 ha in the highlands of Tinombo and Palasa sub-districts which are also managed organically, but until now there has been no news of its production results because of its difficult location to reach. This area was once triumphant with local organic garlic which was cultivated by the Lauje people in the 70s to 90s. But unable to compete with imported garlic from Taiwan that looks more attractive (large tubers) at a cheap price. Hopefully, with the seeds of the Sembalun buffered variety and the intensive garlic development developed in the Parigi Moutong district, they can compete with imported garlic like those in the Sigi district. 

 

 

The first harvest was carried out on June 16, 2020. Since this harvest, there have been many traders who want to buy at IDR 25,000 / kg. Seeing this phenomenon, the Department of Agriculture recommends not to sell everything because it will be used as seed again so that this organic garlic farming can continue and so farmers can be independent in terms of seed.

 

Finally, apart from the issue of organic certification and the market which is the next stage of the program, this program is something to be very proud of and is very much worth encouraging and supporting by all parties. The benefits of the program for increasing farmers' economic incomes, maintaining the sustainability and health of agricultural ecosystems in rural areas are no doubt. Congratulations to the farmers and Central Sulawesi Province for Agriculture and Food Crops and Horticulture Services for this achievement. Hopefully, it continues and develops !!!

 

 

 

Bogor, June 2020