Simpang Empat (ANTARA) – The West Pasaman District Government in West Sumatra is optimizing agricultural land to boost rice production in the region.

“Land optimization is essential to improve fields and irrigation channels so that water flows smoothly. We hope this will increase rice yields,” said Doddy San Ismail, West Pasaman Food Crops and Horticulture Head, in Simpang Empat on Sunday.

Currently, around 500 hectares of land — spread across five subdistricts — have been prepared for optimization, funded by the Ministry of Agriculture with a budget of Rp2.3 billion (over US$140,000).

“The work will start with repairing damaged tertiary irrigation networks within the rice fields, followed by secondary network repairs by the Public Works Office,” Ismail said.

Farmers will also receive seeds, pesticides, and agricultural equipment from the Ministry of Agriculture. In addition, the district will encourage youth participation by forming a Food Brigade equipped with farming tools.

The government is also intensifying outreach through field extension workers to promote triple-cropping each year to increase yields.

“Extension workers are providing training through farmer field schools to improve knowledge and productivity. Currently, we have 95 agricultural extension workers across 11 subdistricts,” Ismail said.

In the first semester, West Pasaman recorded 41,247 tons of dry unhusked rice, out of the district’s annual target of 95,823 tons.

Published Date: August 10, 2025