In an effort to enhance the capacity of farmers in 15 surrounding villages to achieve optimal and sustainable agriculture, Agincourt Resources, the operator of the Martabe Gold Mine, held a socialization and training on site-specific agriculture based on the results of land suitability evaluation on May 6-7, 2024 at Sopo Daganak, Desa Napa.
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The socialization and training, which was attended by six farmers from Batangtoru Subdistrict and two farmers from Muara Batangtoru Subdistrict, was also attended by representatives of the South Tapanuli District Agriculture Office. During the two-day training, participants were taught how to measure soil pH, increase soil pH, measure and increase soil organic matter content, calculate the need for soil amendments (lime/dolomite and organic fertilizer/manure/compost) and NPK fertilizer requirements that are optimal for each cultivated land, and how to make MOL (Local Microorganisms) from leftover fruits (rotten) and chicken intestines.
Each day, the training took place in three sessions: testing, material presentation, and practice. Through this training, it is hoped that farmers will be able to determine land characteristics independently both based on laboratory analysis results and in the field, be able to select plant types based on growth requirements and land characteristics, and be able to engineer land physical conditions to rehabilitate marginal or critical land.
