A number of farmers and ranchers have begun to benefit from agricultural integration activities in the food estate area in Central Kalimantan which have been run by the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) since 2020. The main commodities cultivated in this integration are rice and corn with horticultural commodities, plantations, livestock. One successful livestock business is a duck farming activity managed by the Jaya Makmur farmer group (Poktan) in Belanti Siam, Pandih Batu District, Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan. It is recorded that the total production of ducks in the Belati Siam food estate area currently has a capacity of 10,000 ducks. So that per month able to sell 1,500 ducks and 1,000 DOC. The head of Poktan Jaya Makmur, Parmin said, the establishment of the duck farm was due to the Ministry of Agriculture's assistance in 2020. The Ministry of Agriculture facilitated the physical building, ducklings, feed and other facilities. "All of the assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture, we only provide the land. Incidentally this is the village treasury land that was entrusted to us," said Parmin when met at his livestock pen, Monday (13/2/2023). In addition to providing assistance, the Ministry of Agriculture is consistent in providing assistance until farmers can.
Parmin himself had never before had experience in raising ducks. However, after discussing with 32 members of his group, he finally decided to take the integration program from this food estate. "Alhamdulillah, so far we have managed to sell up to 10,000 heads. Every month we can sell 1,000 to 1,500 adult tails and 700 to 1,000 DOCs," said Parmin. In managing this farm, Parmin and his friends did not necessarily leave their farming activities. In this area, Poktan Jaya Makmur, apart from continuing to plant rice, also grows oranges and coconuts. "For this farm, we manage it alternately. It takes at most 2 to 3 hours, after which we return to the fields. Currently, the coconuts and oranges have also started to bear fruit, they will soon be harvested," explained Parmin. According to him, the existence of duck farms has been enough to help the movement of the local community's economy. This is because there has been a plasma core in terms of raising ducks. "Many villagers buy DOC here to raise them in their homes. Some are used as layers, some are used as broiler ducks," said Parmin.
