PORTALJABAR, BEKASI REGENCY - Deputy Regent of Bekasi, Asep Surya Atmaja, directly led the Simultaneous Rice Harvest activity on 35 hectares of land owned by the Srikandi Farmers Group, Kertasari Village, Pebayuran District, Bekasi Regency, on Monday (7/4/2025).

This activity is part of the national agenda of the Simultaneous Rice Harvest in 14 provinces initiated by the Central Government together with the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto.

On that occasion, Deputy Regent Asep conveyed the importance of improving competence and education for farmers as an effort to encourage productivity in the agricultural sector.

He emphasized that farmers need to be equipped with adequate knowledge, not just limited to farming skills.

"Earlier I went down directly to listen to the farmers' complaints. Now farmers can not only farm, but also be educated," he said after leading the harvest activity.

Asep explained that land productivity will not be optimal if its management is only done conventionally. He gave an example of the importance of understanding the level of soil acidity (pH) and the ability to operate agricultural tools and technology.

"Later, if it is only planted, suddenly the results will be bad or damaged. But if he knows, for example the soil pH is 7 or 8, God willing the soil will support good results," he explained.

The Bekasi Regency Government, Asep continued, is committed to preparing the facilities and infrastructure needed to support the improvement of farmer competence. He believes that the progress of the agricultural sector will have a direct impact on the welfare of farmers and the prosperity of the nation.

"Because I believe that if the farmers are prosperous, the country will definitely be prosperous," he stressed.

On the same occasion, the Head of the Bekasi Regency Agriculture Service, Abdillah Majid, said that this bumper harvest was the result of the hard work of farmers who had intensively cultivated rice.

He hopes that this momentum can be a trigger for enthusiasm for farmers in other regions to continue to increase agricultural productivity.

With the synergy between the government and farmers, it is hoped that the agricultural sector in Bekasi Regency will continue to develop and be able to sustainably support regional food security. (Bekasi Regency Government Public Relations/rka)