The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) through the Directorate General of Aquaculture (DJPB) again launched aquaculture villages, this time in South Sulawesi Province. The development of aquaculture villages is expected to motivate cultivators to be more active with the support of synergy between the government, stakeholders, and the community in supporting the success of the breakthrough program. This was conveyed by the Director General of Aquaculture, TB Haeru Rahayu when launching the Milkfish Cultivation Fishery Village in Bontomanai Village and Manakku Village, located in Labakkang District, Pangkajene and Islands (Pangkep) Regency, South Sulawesi Province. According to Tebe - as he is familiarly called, this activity was carried out to oversee one of the KKP’s breakthrough programs, namely the development of aquaculture villages based on local wisdom commodities, which this year have been set at 130 locations throughout Indonesia, one of which is in Pangkep Regency. “I know that the quality of milkfish in South Sulawesi is one of the best in Indonesia, so I believe it is possible to increase the production and income of farmers, especially in Pangkep Regency,” said Tebe. With the support of all parties, Tebe believes that along with the increase in productivity and quality produced, Pangkep milkfish can go international as one of the commodities that are routinely exported.
KKP is also ready to provide support through the Fish Quarantine, Quality Control, and Fishery Product Safety Agency (BKIPM) by picking up the balls for aquaculture business actors for export requirements services such as certification. In addition, Tebe also hopes that if there is an increase in commodity prices, it should be able to touch cultivators directly so that the welfare of cultivators can be raised. For this reason, KKP is also preparing a scheme that can cut the long chain of trade systems by using technology that can be applied to the community. “This momentum is a good first step so that the economy in the community can grow faster positively,” concluded Tebe.
In that event, the government assistance was also handed over milkfish seeds, tilapia seeds, tiger shrimp fry, and vaname shrimp to cultivators in South Sulawesi province, as well as symbolic distribution of seeds in community-owned ponds. The total amount of seed assistance that was handed over was 9,140,000 seeds. Head of BPBAP Takalar, Nur Muflich Juniyanto said that in addition to conducting periodic technical guidance and conducting regular monitoring and evaluation, BPBAP Takalar also synergizes government assistance that has been determined to be able to support the aquaculture village program. On the same occasion, the Head of the Pangkep Regency Fisheries Service, Kusmawati expressed her deepest gratitude to the KKP for choosing Pangkep Regency as one of the implementers of the Aquaculture Village Program 2022. She believes that the potential area for brackish water ponds of 13 thousand hectares spread across seven sub-districts can be maximized for commodities such as milkfish which has a distinctive taste and has been well-known for a long time.
According to data from the Pangkep District Fisheries Service, the Milkfish Cultivation Village in Bontomanai Village and Manakku Village has an area of approximately 1,110 hectares of cultivated land with an average area per unit of cultivation pond reaching 700 m2. Temporary data records that the total production generated from the two villages in 2021 will reach 1,300 tons with a turnover of IDR 26 billion per year. The Head of the Prosperous Milkfish Pokdakan from Manakku Village, Junaedi said the potential that could be developed was still very large, especially since the demand for the local market was quite large. He hopes for support from the central and regional governments to help the obstacles so that production can continue to increase.
