Semarang – PT PLN (Persero) encourages farmers to use electricity in an effort to increase crop yields. According to the state electricity company, farmers’ enthusiasm in the program to increase productivity and income through the electrifying agriculture program is very high.
PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo said in a written statement that the program aims, among other things, to help farmers who find it difficult to get fuel due to its high cost with cleaner electrical energy.
The electrifying agriculture program has been utilised by the Ngudi Makmur onion farmers group in Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region. Ilyas Suprapta, one of the 801 members of the farmers group, said that he was able to reduce operational costs by 90 percent after switching to using electricity to irrigate his rice fields since last year. Electric energy is used to power the water pump for irrigation.
“Before this program, farmers often faced obstacles when they wanted to irrigate their rice fields,” Suprapta said, adding that the operational cost of using diesel fuel pumps was very high and the number of purchases was limited. According to him, a single watering can cost 1.5 to 2 litres per thousand metres or around Rp 20,000 per metre.
Meanwhile, General Manager of PLN Central Java and Yogyakarta Distribution Unit, AB Wahyu Jatmiko explained, until April 2023, PLN has distributed a total of 5,387,000 Volt Ampere (VA) power to 904 customers to help the operational efficiency of agricultural sector businesses in Central Java and Yogyakarta. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: PLN
