Minister Of Agriculture Amran: Food Self-Sufficiency Can Be Achieved If Indonesia Consistently Builds 1 Million Hectares Of Rawa Land

Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Amran Sulaiman said Indonesia could self-sufficiency in food if the government consistently builds 1 million hectares (Ha) of swampland per year to become agricultural land.

Amran's statement answered Prabowo Subianto's view that Indonesia could self-sufficiency in food within 3 years. After that, Indonesia will become a world food barn.

"God willing, if we consistently build 1 million per year, I think yes (sufficiency in food)," he told reporters, Friday, November 10.

According to Amran, 1 million hectares of swampland converted into agricultural land can be used to grow rice commodities. He said, this land would produce 5 million tons of unhulled rice.

If 1 million hectares of the land is planted with rice for 3 years, continued Amran, it will produce 15 million tons of harvested dry unhulled rice (GKP).

With these calculations, Amran is optimistic that Indonesia can not only self-sufficiency in food but also export rice.

We built the 1 million mineral swamps into rice. If it's 3 times 5 million tons, it's 15 million tons. 7 million packs a year and a half, we only lack 2-3 million, we can already export it," he said.

Not only rice, said Amran, other commodities targeted for self-sufficiency are corn. According to him, the two commodities can be planted in mineral swamplands for three years.

"You can save the seleng, 2 times planting rice, 1 time corn, so it's immediately 1 million (per year). So 3 million (for 3 years). It should be 5 million, 5 years," he said.