BANTAENG BUILDING NON-MECHANICAL WATER PUMPS FOR FARMLAND IRRIGATION

Makassar, Oct 3 (ANTARA) - To support the agricultural program in Bantaeng regency, South Sulawesi, the local administration is currently developing a non-mechanized water pump (PATM).
Such a pump has the capacity of irrigating 75 hectares of rice and 200 hectares of second crops.
In the beginning the development of a PATM is carried out in Lamalaka subdistrict, Bantaeng Regent HM Nurdin Abdullah said when observing a trial of such a pump built under a cooperation with PT Graha Bintang Mas on Friday.

The regent welcomed the non-mechanical water pump which is considered as a great help to the local farmers and which is also considered more effective and economical than other types of water pump whose operation needs fuel oil.
He said mechanical water pumps are costly to operate, and a PATM is the best solution.
He hoped all the existing rivers would be used to operate non-mechanisal water pumps to irrigate nearby farmland, especially during the dry season.

Bantaeng has 3,500 ha of rain-fed farmland with only one harvest per year. If all the farmland could be irrigated by using non-mechanical water pumps, five harvest would be possible in two years.
Director of PT Graha Bintang Mas, Ricky ST said a PATM is quite effective in supplying water to nearby farmland.

Such non-mechanical water pumps were already used in Gorontalo in raising corn, and in South Sulawesi, such pumps are already in use at the Sugarmills in Takalar and Bone.

After Bantaeng, Wajo regency will soon follow, he added.