TKN Responds To The Assumption That Free Eating Program Is Less Important: This Is A Problem For The Nation's Life And Death

JAKARTA - The Commander of the Communication Team for TKN Prabowo Gibran, Budisatrio Djiwandono, replied that the free lunch program was less important.

According to Budisatrio, Prabowo's dream to make people's stomach full is the basic right and the problem of life and death of the nation.

"Mr. Prabowo's dream is to make the stomach of the Indonesian people full and sustainable. This is the basic right and the problem of life and death of the nation," Budisatrio said in his official statement, Sunday, January 21.

The commander of the TKN Communication Team as well as the chairman of Commission IV of the DPR RI also assessed that other candidate pairs who stated that food and food issues were less important because they were not aware of the facts on the ground and challenges in the future.

Budisatrio said that today there has been a large imbalance from the growth in the population with agricultural land.

Our population increases by 3 million people every year, around 30 babies per second. In 2045, it is predicted that our (residents) will have 324 million people. While on the other hand, our agricultural land continues to decrease by 100,000 hectares every year. Pak Prabowo is aware of this, that we are very vulnerable to hunger. " he said.

"For this reason, this problem cannot be solved by relying on imports of food. said Budisatrio, learning from the pandemic and the world situation, this is very risky.

For food, Indonesia must be self-sufficient. If we rely on imports, our sovereignty will be at stake. Imagine if supply from outside was stopped, Indonesia would experience a hunger disaster. We are vulnerable, because we depend on our stomach to other countries." explained Budisatrio.

Likewise, even if imports are smooth, there is a problem, namely local products cannot compete in the market so that farmers' welfare becomes victims.

Then regarding the free lunch and milk program, Budisatrio explained that the main program also aims to create food sovereignty.

The Free Lunch and Milk Program, because it will rely on local food products, will be able to absorb farmers' production. Then children who are fed will be full, grow more optimally, so that they become superior generations. " he said

Furthermore, he also mentioned the food estate that was prepared to be a long-term solution for national food security.

Meanwhile, to improve the welfare of farmers, land ownership credit is made for the purchase of government harvests with a minimum profit of 30 percent and direct access to subsidized fertilizers and seeds. It is hoped that this method will spearhead the food crisis.