Jokowi To The Ranks Of The Ministries: Please Note, The Problem Of Importing Soybeans, Garlic Etc. Must Be Resolved

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asked the ranks of the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) to find solutions for imported food commodities such as garlic, sugar, corn, and soybeans.

"I conveyed that the affairs of these items must be resolved, the matters of garlic, sugar, corn, soybeans and other commodities that are still imported, please make notes and immediately find a good design so that we can finish it," said President Jokowi at the State Palace in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Monday 11 January.

President Jokowi made this statement when he opened the 2021 National Working Meeting of Agricultural Development.

"We know that Indonesia's population has more than 270 million. Therefore, management related to food must be really serious, we really have to take agricultural development seriously, especially with regard to imported agricultural commodities," added President Jokowi.

President Jokowi also mentioned a number of food commodities that are still imported in large quantities by Indonesia.

"Be careful with soybeans, careful with corn, careful sugar, these are still millions of tons, garlic, rice, even though we haven't imported rice for almost 2 years, but I want to see really in the field whether it is true that it can be consistent throughout the years. next year, "said President Jokowi.

President Jokowi also requested that the Ministry of Agriculture not only carry out conventional and monotonous activities from year to year.

"We have to build an area that is on an economic scale, it cannot be small anymore. That's why I urge this food estate to be completed at least this year, which in North Sumatra and in Central Kalimantan will be resolved," added the President.

The government is setting up Kapuas and Pulau Pisau districts in Central Kalimantan and Humbang Hasundutan Regency in North Sumatra as food estate locations.

"We will evaluate what problems in the field, what technology is lacking? Also by using technology in the food estate because it will be an example. If everything is true, it can be an example, all provinces just come to copy," said President Jokowi.

However, according to the President, the food estate must be carried out in a large area so as to create an economic scale.

"Because it's useless if you can produce but a little, it doesn't affect the imported products. The problem from the past until now is why, for example, soybeans, which are also in Indonesia, can grow well, but why don't our farmers want to plant them? Because the price is lower than imported soybeans. , "said President Jokowi.

President Jokowi revealed that farmers were reluctant to plant soybeans because if local soybeans were sold, they would not compete with imported soybeans and could not even cover the production price.

"Why did we previously produce a lot of garlic, but farmers don't want to plant more garlic? Because the price is lower than the price of imported garlic, farmers in Wonosobo, in NTB used to grow a lot of garlic but why not expand it in large quantities so that they can fight garlic. imports and is there a competitive price? " said President Jokowi.

President Jokowi also asked the Ministry of Agriculture to find a large area of land so that farmers could plant these commodities on a large scale.

"Look for land suitable for soybeans, but not 1-2 hectares, 10 hectares, but 100 thousand, 300 thousand, 500 thousand, 1 million hectares are looking for. The corn business is looking for land that can be planted with corn on a large scale, this will solve the problem," added President Jokowi.

President Jokowi also emphasized that work is not just doing routine.

"If it's just routine matters of fertilizers, seedlings, that's important, I know, but if you can prepare it in large areas it will solve the problem," said President Jokowi.

The opening of the working meeting was attended by a number of advanced Indonesian cabinet ministers such as Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo, Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of BUMN Erick Thohir and other related officials.