US & NATO's Ultimate Goal is to 'Take Over Ukrainian Land, People and Resources'

©Photo : Twitter / @clashreport

Shortly after the fabled Ukrainian counteroffensive finally started, it became increasingly apparent that NATO military equipment and training won't be enough for the Kiev regime forces to penetrate Russian defensive lines.

With the Ukrainian offensive now underway, Kiev so far has virtually nothing to show in the way of gains, whereas images of wrecked Leopard tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles used by Ukrainian troops have already started circulating on social media.

Even though the United States and its allies have been generously supplying Ukraine with armaments and military vehicles during the ongoing conflict, it appears that Ukrainian forces are "institutionally and operationally unable to successfully absorb the wide and inconsistent variety of equipment and weaponry" while "under fire and duress," said US Ret.Lt.Col Karen Kwiatkowski.

“This is the fault of the US and NATO which seeks to ride the back of Ukrainian patriotism in order to both confront and harass Russia, with an aim to take over Ukraine's land, people and resources once there is little Ukraine left - in a kind of mini-Marshall Plan, this time completely and wholly managed and conducted by US and international crony capitalists, like Black Rock,” Kwiatkowsky, a former US Department of Defense analyst, told Sputnik.

She suggested that the United States and Britain were likely the ones who actually needed Kiev to launch this counteroffensive and that it would seem “as if Western governments see Ukraine little more than a snuff film, for their entertainment and profit.”

“Clearly, what Ukraine needs is to find a way to get out from under the US political cycle and NATO's organizational expansion obsession, and make peace,” Kwiatkowsky mused, postulating that such a deal would likely entail the separation of the “Russian side of the former Ukraine” from the “Ukrainian side.”

She did point out, however, that so far the US and the UK politicians have been quick to suppress any attempts by the Ukrainian side to “make peaceful signs or noises.”

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest and former CIA station chief Phillip Giraldi has observed that some Western media outlets have been trying to make it look like the Ukrainian counteroffensive is succeeding and that Kiev regime forces are “overrunning the Russian positions.”

Commenting on this development, Giraldi suggested that politicians in the US, the UK and Germany “need to be able to speak positively about what is occurring” in Ukraine, since the public in their respective countries is starting to turn against the conflict “as it grinds on and on consuming hundreds of billions dollars worth of equipment.”

He further suggested that people in the United States, Britain and Germany are none too thrilled about their governments directly backing the regime in Kiev, which he described as “a regime that nearly everyone concedes is hopelessly corrupt.”

“There is talk here in Washington that the Ukrainian generals might depose Zelensky and enter into negotiations with Moscow,” Giraldi added.

Ukraine hits flood shelter with UK-supplied missiles – Kherson official

Ukrainian forces have attacked several temporary shelters for people evacuated in the wake of the breach of the Kakhovka dam, the acting governor of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said on Saturday morning, sharing pictures of the devastated facility.

The strike on the shelter on the left bank of the Dnieper River was carried out around 5am local time, allegedly using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, Saldo said in a statement. There was at least one casualty, a woman, according to preliminary information.

©Photo : Twitter / @clashreport

The Black Sea village of Zhelezny Port also came under “fierce shelling” overnight, with a local hotel hosting the evacuees “destroyed,” according to the official.

The acting governor shared several pictures of the heavily damaged facility, as well as a video of a villa engulfed in flames.

“The targeted strikes are being carried out with British missiles, delivered to the Kiev regime to unleash ‘peace’ on civilian infrastructure,” Saldo wrote.

Earlier on Friday, one person was killed and another injured after several rockets hit a children's summer camp in the same area. According to Saldo, first responders discovered the debris of Storm Shadows at the scene.

The Russian-held Kakhovka dam in Kherson Region was destroyed early on Tuesday morning. Several people were killed, while thousands more were exposed to flooding.

Kherson authorities declared a state of emergency across the entire territory controlled by Russia. Saldo said that a total of between 22,000 and 40,000 people were located in the disaster area.

Moscow and Kiev have traded accusations over who is to blame for the incident, which triggered mass evacuation efforts on both sides of the Dnieper River. Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov accused Ukraine of “deliberate sabotage” in a bid to deprive Crimea of drinking water and deflect attention away from Kiev’s botched counteroffensive in Donbass.

Ukrainian forces continued unsuccessful attempts to conduct offensive operations

FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian troops receive armoured manoeuvre training on German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks at the Spanish army's training centre. © AFP / Oscar del Pozo.

Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine

Ukrainian forces continued unsuccessful attempts to conduct offensive operations in South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, as well as close to Artyomovsk.

In Zaporozhye direction, two attacks from the Ukrainian military with the strength of up to a battalion reinforced with tanks have been repelled. In addition, two columns of four armored vehicles have been hit.

Close to Vremevskoi Vystup, the Ukrainian forces launched three unsuccessful attacks. Ukrainian losses amounted to more than 300 troops, nine tanks, including four Leopard tanks, 11 infantry fighting vehicles, including five US-manufactured Bradley vehicles, 14 armored fighting vehicles and one French-manufactured Cezar self-propelled artillery system;

Close to Artyomovsk, five attacks have been successfully repelled. No incursion into Russian defenses has happened. Russian forces destroyed up to 230 Ukrainian soldiers, two armored fighting vehicles and two D-30 howitzers;

In the Kupyansk direction, the actions of three Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups were thwarted. Russian forces destroyed up to 65 Ukrainian troops, one armored personnel carrier, two pick-up trucks, and one US-manufactured M777 artillery system. The actions of four Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups were thwarted;

In the Krasny Liman direction, the actions of one Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group was thwarted. Russian forces neutralized up to 60 Ukrainian soldiers, one infantry fighting vehicle, two armored fighting vehicles, Krab, Gvozdika and Akatsiya self-propelled artillery systems, one D-20 howitzer, as well as one ammunition depot;

In the Kherson direction, Russian troops neutralized up to 40 Ukrainian soldiers, one Akatsiya self-propelled howitzer as well as an ammunition depot;

Russian air defenses shot down one Su-27 aircraft, a MIG-29 fighter, two Storm Shadow cruise missiles, ten HIMARS missiles, as well as eight unmanned aerial vehicles in the LPR, DPR, Kharkov, and Zaporozhye regions.

Watch Ukrainian Armored Units Get Obliterated Amid Counteroffensive

Even though the much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive has finally started, so far Kiev forces have little to show in the way of gains - despite sustaining heavy losses.

Ukrainian troops have launched several unsuccessful attacks against Russian positions during the past week, essentially throwing their men and equipment, including Leopard tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles supplied by NATO that were supposed to tip the scales in Kiev’s favor, into the meat grinder.

While Kiev learns the hard way that NATO military hardware is not invincible and can be destroyed just like any other, Russia's Ministry of Defense has already released several videos showing elements of the Ukrainian war machine being dismantled in the field.

The Russian military has destroyed nine Ukrainian tanks, including four German-made Leopard 2s, as it successfully repelled attempts at advancing by Kiev forces, Russia’s Ministry of Defense has said.

Over the past 24 hours, Ukraine has “continued fruitless attempts to carry out offensive operations” in Russia’s Zaporozhye Region, in the south of Donetsk People’s Republic and near the city of Artyomovsk, ministry spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov said during a briefing on Saturday.

In Zaporozhye Region, Russian ground troops, artillery and aviation repelled two attacks by large Ukrainian units boosted by tanks in the area of Yablonevo and Novopokrovka villages, he said.

Two of Kiev’s armored convoys were struck near the settlements of Novodanilovka and Malaya Tokmachka, the spokesman also reported. There were also three smaller Ukrainian attacks in the region, which were also unsuccessful, he added.

Besides the nine tanks, Kiev forces are also down eleven armored personnel carriers, which include five US-supplied Bradley fighting vehicles, 14 armored cars and a French-made Caesar self-propelled howitzer, Konashenkov pointed out.

The Ukrainian military’s losses in terms of manpower during the fresh fighting in Zaporozhye Region has reached up to 300 troops, according to the ministry spokesman.

Five attacks were repelled near the city of Artymovsk, which the Russian forces captured from Ukraine in May after months of heavy fighting, he told the briefing. Kiev’s losses in this area over the past 24 hours, he pointed out, included up to 230 personnel, five armored cars and two Soviet-made D-30 howitzers.

According to Konashenkov, around 60 of Kiev’s soldiers were neutralized in the area of Krasny Liman, a Ukrainian-held town in the Donetsk Peoples Republic. An APC and several howitzers, including a Polish-made Krab self-propelled gun were also destroyed, he said.

Watch Russia's Ka-52 Copters Wipe Out Ukrainian Armored Vehicles

©Sputnik / Russian Defence Ministry / Go to the mediabank

The Ka-52s launched the missile strikes as part of Russia’s ongoing special military operation in Ukraine. The strikes came amid Kiev’s effort to stage a counteroffensive against Russian troops.

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has released a video of the Ka-52 attack and reconnaissance helicopters destroying the Western-made combat armored vehicles of Ukrainian troops in the Zaporozhye region.

Commenting on the footage that was posted on the MoD’s Telegram page, the ministry pointed out that “the Russian army’s aviation crews attacked a convoy of armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with guided missiles.”

According to the MoD, after several such vehicles were obliterated, others tried to disperse but they were also destroyed by the Ka-52 crews.

The video comes after Colonel-General Alexander Romanchuk, the commander of the Russian Armed Forces group in the Zaporozhye region, said Ukrainian troops had lost up to 350 people and over 30 tanks, including three Western-made Leopard-2s, during an attempt to conduct a counteroffensive against Russian forces.

🎥 Footage of reconnaissance and attack Ka-52 helicopters destroying Western-made military vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zaporozhye direction
Video courtesy of Russian MoD

The Russian military destroyed a Ukrainian self-propelled gun mount in the Avdiivka direction during a counter-battery fight.

The video from the copter shows "exits" from the MLRS and from the cannon artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kuibyshevsky district of Donetsk. Russian fighters destroyed the howitzer, which was hidden in the green.

Watch Russian Forces Blazing Ukrainian Tanks and IFVs

Ukrainian officials have hyped their counteroffensive for several months, demanding funds and ammo from Western countries. It seems the effort has already begun, but all that can be seen so far is incinerated NATO military equipment worth millions of dollars.

Russian Ministry of Defense has published a clip that shows troops wiping out Ukrainian military equipment in the Zaporozhye direction, with cindering remains of enemy tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.

The Kiev regime has long been promising a counteroffensive, envisioning a major turn on the battlefield and asking for more funding.

However, despite cutting-edge Western equipment, Ukrainian militants are losing considerable numbers of troops every day without advancing further.

🎥 Russian forces destroyed the enemy in the special military operation: "Our cause is just. The enemy shall be defeated. Victory shall be ours." (с)
Video courtesy of Russian MoD

🎥 The Russian Ministry of Defense has published footage of destroyed armored vehicles of the Ukrainian armed forces, including German Leopard tanks and American Bradley infantry fighting vehicles

Special operation, June 9th. Main:

The Russian military repelled four enemy attacks in the Yuzhno-Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, over 150 Ukrainian tanks and combat vehicles were eliminated in just two days, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

Over 30 Ukrainian soldiers were destroyed in the Kupyansk direction in a day, more than 50 in the Krasnolymansk direction, up to 70 in the Kherson direction, up to 410 in the Donetsk direction, and almost 700 in the Zaporozhye and YuzhnoDonetsk directions, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

Artillerymen of the 150th division destroyed a US-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, along with ammunition, near Donetsk

The Russian Armed Forces launched a group missile attack on Ukrainian warehouses with foreign-made equipment, damage was done to the reserves of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of Gulyaipol,

Omelnyk and Preobrazhenka in the Zaporozhye region, the Vostok group destroyed more than 50 armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in two directions, the Defense Ministry reported

▪️Russia after July 7-8 will begin to deploy weapons on the territory of Belarus after the completion of preparatory work, Putin said.

▪️More than 22 thousand houses in 17 settlements of the Kherson region were flooded as a result of the destruction of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station, according to the forecast, the rise in water can last up to 10 days, said the acting governor of the region Saldo

▪️The death toll during the destruction of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station has increased to six, a representative of emergency services told RIA Novosti

▪️A drone fell on a residential building in Voronezh, three people were injured, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a case on a terrorist attack, the governor said

▪️The air defense system worked over Belgorod, two air targets were shot down on approach to the city, earlier three people were injured during night shelling, the governor of the region said

The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Moscow would terminate its obligations under the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe on November 7, the Russian Federation notified all parties to the treaty of its withdrawal from the CFE Treaty. NATO calls on the Russian side to reconsider its decision, the alliance says in a statement

▪️The Pentagon will allocate a new package of assistance to Kyiv in the amount of more than $ 2 billion, writes Bloomberg, citing sources in the White House

KFF Singapore Open 2023 - Anthony S Ginting Ke Final

Pebulu tangkis tunggal putra Indonesia Anthony Sinisuka Ginting lolos ke semifinal Singapore Open 2023 setelah mengalahkan Li Shi Feng 21-13, 16-21, dan 21-12 di Singapore Indoor Stadium, Jumat (9/6/2023). (foto: PBSI)

Tiket partai puncak turnamen BWF Super 750 ini diraih Ginting setelah lawannya di babak semifinal, Kunlavut Vitidsarn wakil tunggal putra Thailand, mundur pada gim ketiga.

Anthony Sinisuka Ginting maju ke final KFF Singapore Open 2023. Tunggal pertama Indonesia ini menang setelah unggulan ketujuh Kunlavut Vitidsarn asal Thailand, yang retire di set ketiga di kedudukan 19-21, 21-11, 6-1.

Dalam pertandingan semifinal Singapore Open 2023 di Singapore Indoor Stadium, Sabtu malam WIB, 10/06/2023 , Anthony Ginting sebagai unggulan kedua langsung mendapatkan perlawanan alot dari unggulan ketiga Kunlavut.

Kedua pebulutangkis saling serangan saling rebut poin. Anthony Ginting sempat unggul 8-6 tapi kemudian berbalik ketinggalan 10-11 pada saat interval gim pertama semifinal Singapore Open 2023 ini.

Anthony S Ginting terus berupaya memangkas jarak dari Kunlavut Vitidsarn yanv ketinggalan 11-14, akhirnya Ginting mampu menyamakan skor pada kedudukan 16 sama.

Namun Kunlavut Vitidsarn menjauh lagi, hingga skor 19-16, dan Ginting kembali bisa menyamakan lagi menjadi 19-19. Dalam skor genting, Anthony Ginting tidak kuasa meredam lawan merebut dua poin berikutnya. Ia kehilangan set pertama, 19-21.

Di set kedua, perebutan poin kembali berjalan alot. Tapi setelah berimbang 3-3, Anthony Ginting relatif pegang kendali dengan menjaga keunggulan poin atas lawan sampai interval set ini, 11-6.

Selepas interval set kedua, Anthony masih terus pegang kendali menghadapi lawannya yang beberapa kali melepaskan pukulan mengejutkan. Peluang gim poin lantas tidak dibuang Anthony Ginting untuk merebut gim kedua, 21-11.

Pada set penentu, Anthony Ginting langsung merebut empat poin awal berkat kesalahan dari lawan. Dalam keadaan tertinggal 0-4, Kunlavut Vitidsarn minta rehat medis pada bagian bahu.

Setelah itu, Kunlavut mendapat perawatan di pinggir lapangan karena mengalami cedera di lengan kanannya. Pertandingan sempat dilanjutkan lagi hingga Ginting unggul 6-1.

Tetapi kemudian, Kunlavut meminta technical break lagi. Dia lalu memutuskan mundur dari pertandingan karena tak sanggup menahan rasa sakit pada cederanya.

Di final, sudah ada Anders Antonsen yang menanti. Tunggal putra Denmark itu lolos ke Singapore Open 2023 usai menang rubber game 19-21, 21-16, 21-17 atas unggulan ketiga Kodai Naraoka (Jepang).

Dengan hasil ini, Ginting menjaga kans mempertahankan gelar Singapore Open yang direbut tahun lalu. Dia bakal menghadapi pemain Denmark Andres Antonsen pada laga puncak yang berlangsung besok.

Rekap Hasil Babak Semifinal KFF Singapure Open 2023

Latin American nation seeks to join BRICS bank

©Getty Images / Manuel Chinchilla

Honduras has formally requested to join the New Development Bank (NDB) of the BRICS group of major emerging economies, the office of President Xiomara Castro said on Saturday.

Castro met with the bank’s president, former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, during the latter's official six-day visit to China.

Headquartered in Shanghai, the NDB was established by BRICS member states – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – back in 2014. The five economies of the bloc account for more than 40% of the world’s population and nearly a quarter of global GDP.

The bank was set up with the purpose of financing infrastructure and sustainable development in member states and other emerging economies. It also aims to help member states to reduce dependence on the US dollar and euro. The multinational lender continues to expand its global reach and already includes Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Egypt.

Earlier this month, Rousseff, a former president of Brazil, said the NBD’s board of directors had formally enabled her to vote on Argentina’s entry to the organization, which would allow Buenos Aires to access financial assistance.

The NDB has lent $33 billion to support more than 96 projects in the five founding member nations.

As 19 countries seek to join BRICS, is the world experiencing a change in the balance of power

Since its formation in 2006, the BRICS group has only accepted one new member in 2010. Now, 19 countries have formally or informally approached the body to become members as it prepares to hold its annual summit in South Africa. Five Arab countries are among those who have expressed their interest in joining the BRICS group, South Africa's Ambassador Anil Sooklal said in an interview.

Saudi Arabia and Iran have made formal requests to join, while the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain and Algeria have joined Argentina and Indonesia and a number of African states in expressing an interest in joining.

"What will be discussed is the expansion of Brics and the modalities of how this will happen," Sooklal said. "Thirteen countries have formally asked to join and another six have asked informally. We are getting applications to join every day."

20 countries have formally or informally approached BRICS leaders to become full members of BRICS, South Africa's BRICS Sherpa @anil_sooklal on Brics expansion.

PS: South Africa is the chair of the BRICS this year. pic.twitter.com/IMZCUe0Z6Q

— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) April 22, 2023

According to Professor of International Law at Brazil's FGV Direito SP University, Dr Salem Nasser, these requests show that there are "ongoing changes in the balance of world power. BRICS represent a new pole of economic and political power which will compete with North American hegemony."

Nasser, however, does not believe that through joining BRICS these countries will be aligning themselves with China or closing the door on cooperation with the West.

Since its establishment, BRICS – an acronym for five regional economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – included the world's fastest-growing economies at the time. However, Chinese President Li Jintao described BRICS as "the defender of the interests of developing countries and a force for world peace." With the body now setting itself up as an alternative to existing international financial and political forums.

BRICS five member states now account for 31.5 per cent of global GDP, while the G7 members' share has fallen to 30 per cent, according to Megh Updates platform. Global banking group Goldman Sachs believes that by 2050 the economies of the BRICS countries will compete with the economies of the richest countries in the world.

"The belief is growing that North American economic hegemony declines and changes are accelerating. Besides, the production weight of the BRICS promises a lot," Nasser told MEMO. "On other hand, the expansion can be seen today as a strengthening, but it can bring the dilution of this unity at the same time," he warned.

Nasser sees that one of the greatest challenges BRICS faces is the ability to expand its membership base while maintaining its current economic growth and building a consistent and common strategy.

"The issue of accepting new members and maintaining economic and political independence is not easy at all. For example, the crisis of distancing Brazil during the last Brazilian government while the matter changed now with President Lula's return. China is the economic flagship of the group and any transformations now will affect the world economy. The important question right now is: will the group be able to build common perceptions and strategies?"

Encontro com o presidente da Assembleia Popular da China, Zhao Leji. Queremos elevar o patamar da parceria estratégica entre nossos países, ampliar fluxos de comércio e, junto com a China, equilibrar a geopolítica mundial. 🇧🇷🇨🇳

📸: @ricardostuckert pic.twitter.com/aG5v4aIj5l

— Lula (@LulaOficial) April 14, 2023

During his visit to Beijing last month, Brazil's President Lula da Silva said: "Every night, I ask myself 'why do all countries have to base their trade on the dollar?'."

He believes in the need to create new mechanisms and he called on developing countries to work towards replacing the US dollar with their own currencies in trade. "I am in favour, in the case of Brazil with South America, that we create a currency to trade. I am in favor of people creating a trading currency between our countries in the BRICS, like the Europeans created the euro."

Lula stressed that he wants the BRICS Development Bank to become a major investment bank. "The BRICS bank could become the great bank of the Global South," he said, adding: "Brazil is back and willing to make a difference. To help the world have a different look. And we have a task that we didn't have ten years ago."

Bom dia no Brasil! Em Xangai, participei da posse de @dilmabr como presidenta do Novo Banco de Desenvolvimento dos Brics e visitei a fábrica da Huawei. O NBD é uma grande iniciativa para um desenvolvimento mais equilibrado do mundo.

📸: @ricardostuckert pic.twitter.com/VhUc4qNLfr

— Lula (@LulaOficial) April 13, 2023

BRICS is facing changes in its importance and global reach as a result of the desire of countries to change from a unilateral global base – led by the United States – to a multipolar one. Should the 19 countries be allowed to join the body, they could change the balance of global power, but will they also lead to the destruction of BRICS' ability to make change?

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.

Saudi Arabia keen to develop future cooperation with BRICS group: FM

Saudi Arabia is keen to develop future cooperation with the BRICS group to achieve collective prosperity, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday, citing Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

During the ministerial meeting of Friends of BRICS in South Africa’s Cape Town, Prince Faisal said that the Kingdom aims to advance this cooperation with BRICS by benefiting from the capabilities that the Kingdom and BRICS countries posses.

“The Kingdom remains the BRICS group’s largest commercial partner in the Middle East…The total value of bilateral trade with the countries of the BRICS group increased from $81 billion in 2017 and 128 billion in 2021 and exceeded $160 billion in 2022,” he said.

He added that Saudi Arabia shares basic values with the BRICS countries such as that relations between countries are based on the principles of respect for sovereignty, non-interference, and adherence to international law.

Prince Faisal also reaffirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to work with international partners to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

The Kingdom is also committed to intensifying global efforts to enhance food and energy security amid recurring crises and supply-chain issues, the FM said, noting that Saudi Arabia plays a significant role in the field of humanitarian and development aid and is among the top 10 donors to low- and middle-income countries.

Syngenta luncurkan benih jagung bioteknologi pertama di Indonesia - PENAS Petani-Nelayan XVI-2023

Syngenta memaparkan tanaman jagung berusia 70 hari dari benih bioteknologi kepada petani di ajang Penas Tani dan Nelayan di Lanud Sutan Sjahrir Kota Padang, Sumbar, Sabtu (10/6/2023). ANTARA/Mario Sofia Nasution.

Varietas jagung bioteknologi unggul yang tahan terhadap penggerek batang diyakini akan menjadi primadona petani

PT Syngenta Indonesia meluncurkan benih jagung bioteknologi pertama di Indonesia dengan kualitas tinggi dan memiliki keunggulan ganda, yang diperkenalkan saat pembukaan Pekan Nasional (Penas) Tani Nelayan di Padang, Sumbar, hari Sabtu, 10/09/2023.

Presiden Direktur Syngenta Indonesia Kazim Hasnain di Padang, Sabtu mengatakan benih unggul itu akan menjadi salah satu penguat pilar pertanian Indonesia sebagai lumbung pangan dunia pada 2045.

Ia mengatakan peluncuran benih jagung dengan keunggulan ganda itu wujud komitmen dan perhatian yang besar dari perusahaan terhadap persoalan-persoalan yang dihadapi petani.

Menurut dia, pihaknya telah lebih dari dua puluh tahun menghasilkan benih berkualitas serta membantu petani-petani di Indonesia menghadapi berbagai tantangan dan terus melakukan inovasi berkelanjutan untuk memberikan solusi yang terbaik.

Ia mengatakan benih jagung unggul varietas NK Pendekar Sakti, NK Sumo Sakti, dan NK Perkasa Sakti memiliki keunggulan ganda dan yang pertama kali mendapatkan sertifikat pelepasan varietas di Indonesia.

Keunggulan ganda yang dimiliki adalah toleran terhadap herbisida glifosat serta sekaligus tahan terhadap penggerek batang atau Asian Corn Borer/Ostrinia furnacalis.

Menurut dia, dengan keunggulan ganda tersebu akan membuat petani dapat menekan ongkos produksi, meningkatkan kualitas dan kuantitas hasil panen, dan juga membuat budi daya jagung lebih aman dan nyaman.

Selain itu, jagung bioteknologi itu dapat meningkatkan hasil sekitar 10-15 persen dibandingkan varietas sama yang nonbioteknologi, sehingga apabila ditanam secara luas dapat mendongkrak panen jagung dari rata-rata nasional sebesar 5,3 ton per hektare menjadi tujuh ton per hektare.

Menurut dia, hama penggerek batang selama ini menjadi momok buat petani karena dapat mengalami gagal panen dan kerugian besar jika tanaman jagungnya terserang oleh hama tersebut.

Varietas jagung bioteknologi unggul yang tahan terhadap penggerek batang diyakini akan menjadi primadona petani.

Sementara itu, Seed Business Head Syngenta Indonesia Fauzi Tubat mengatakan benih jagung unggul varietas NK Pendekar Sakti, NK Sumo Sakti, dan NK Perkasa Sakti diproduksi di dalam negeri dengan melibatkan lebih dari 60.000 petani mitra.

Ia mengatakan pada 2022, pihaknya memenuhi permintaan yang tinggi terhadap benih jagung dan menunjukkan tingginya kepercayaan petani terhadap benih berkualitas yang dihasilkan perusahaan.

"Tahun ini, kami terus menggenjot produksi benih jagung agar semakin banyak petani yang mendapatkan benih jagung berkualitas dengan hasil prima dan mendukung swasembada jagung," kata dia.

Menurut dia, pihaknya tidak hanya memproduksi varietas jagung unggul dan memberikan akses kepada petani terhadap benih hasil teknologi tinggi, namun juga secara berkelanjutan mendampingi petani dengan memberikan pelatihan dan pendampingan budi daya jagung.

Syngenta berkolaborasi dan bekerja sama dengan berbagai pemangku kepentingan seperti Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, perguruan tinggi, asosiasi petani, serta badan pemerintahan dalam penyediaan benih yang berkualitas dan pembinaan petani sebagai awal dari hasil yang baik.

"Kami memiliki komitmen kuat untuk secara berkelanjutan melakukan riset guna menghasilkan varietas bioteknologi selanjutnya di masa depan untuk menjawab tantangan pertanian yang lainnya serta memastikan petani Indonesia memiliki akses teknologi yang sama dengan negara maju lain. Kami juga berkomitmen untuk menyiapkan ketersediaan benih jagung bioteknologi untuk setidaknya 1.000 ha per provinsi mulai tahun 2024," kata Fauzi.

Genius Umar Ikut Tanda Tangani Komitmen Bersama Pengembangan Usaha Peternakan Oleh Petani

Wali Kota Pariaman Genius Umar hadiri Temu koordinasi sekaligus ikut penandatanganan komitmen bersama antara mitra pembiayaan dan pelaku usaha agribisnis serta kerjasama pengembangan usaha peternakan, di Hotel Mercury Padang, hari Jumat malam, 09/06/2023, bersama Menteri Pertanian RI, Syahrul Yasin Limpo.

Rangkaian kegiatan ini adalah dalam rangka Gelaran Pekan Nasional (Penas) XVI Petani dan Nelayan seluruh Indonesia di Kawasan Lanud Sutan Sjahrir, Kota Padang, Sumatera Barat (Sumbar), pada 10-15 Juni 2023 mendatang.

Disela-sela kegiatan ini, Wako Pariaman Genius Umar, kepada Menteri Pertanian Ri, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, melaporkan perkembangan sektor pertanian di Kota Pariaman.

Bahkan, ia di Kota Pariaman, telah melakukan kolaborasi penanganan kemiskinan melalui sektor pertanian, pendidikan, sektor kesehatan, infrastruktur dalam memutus rantai kemiskinan di Kota Pariaman.

“Semua kegiatan pertanian dan perikanan di Kota Pariaman dilakukan intervensi khusus untuk warga miskin sehingga nantinya, minimal, untuk kebutuhan rumah tangganya bisa terpenuhi dan hasil lebihnya bisa dijual ke pasar,” jelas Genius ke Mentan RI itu.

Genius menilai, kegiatan ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan motivasi dan kegaiarahan petani nelayan dan masyarakat pelaku agribisnis dalam pembangunan sistem dan usaha agribisnis yang berdaya saing, berkerakyatan, berkelanjutan melalui kemitraan yang saling menguntungkan.

Hal tersebut di apresiasi Menteri Pertanian RI, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, karena berangkat dari tujuan nasional, inilah dasar penguatan pemerintah pusat terhadap daerah-daerah yang mempunyai lahan tani produktif untuk lebih dimaksimalkan.

“Kegiatan ini akan menjadi bagian strategis dari upaya konsolidasi bersama dalam menjaga ketahanan pangan nasional, karenanya, gelaran Penas Tani Nelayan 2023 ini diharapkan bisa menjawab berbagai tantangan yang tengah dihadapi oleh sektor pangan Indonesia,” jelasnya.

Momentum Penas sangat penting untuk menyatukan visi dan pandangan seluruh masyarakat dan pemangku kebijakan dalam menghadapi berbagai tantangan ke depan.