Army Chief Of Staff Ready To Deploy TNI AD Soldiers To Help Ministry Of Agriculture Capai Swasembada

JAKARTA - Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General TNI Maruli Simanjuntak said he was ready to deploy TNI AD soldiers to assist the Ministry of Agriculture in achieving food self-sufficiency.

The Army Chief of Staff was met after the Irrigation Coordination Meeting with the Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman and Minister of Public Works Dody Hanggodo said that the Indonesian Army's support for agricultural improvement had existed since President Prabowo Subianto when he was still Minister of Defense.

Maruli revealed that at that time Prabowo had a program entitled Production Battalion, namely helping and making all government programs successful, including in the agricultural sector.

"Maybe I've heard that the President (Prabowo Subianto) at the time since he was Minister (Detention), has conveyed about the Production Battalion. Later we will have a special team that will continue to manage government programs, not just agriculture, to be able to support it (food self-sufficiency)," Maruli said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, December 5.

"If we need more support, later the soldiers will support the activity. They will be deployed (the Battalion soldiers)," continued Maruli.

Maruli emphasized that his party is ready to oversee the full strengthening of irrigation infrastructure, especially strengthening intensification and extensification areas that include primary, secondary, and tertiary irrigation.

From a temporary calculation, he continued, the total land that will be strengthened by water irrigation will reach approximately 2.3 million hectares according to the presentation delivered by the Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Andi Amran Sulaiman

"For the TNI, if we strengthen collaboration like this, I believe we can accelerate self-sufficiency. Why? Because we already have a very good work record. Moreover, the Indonesian Army has also succeeded in working on a hydraulic irrigation system and pipelines in Bawean, Sukabumi, and other areas," said Maruli.

According to him, the program in the Ministry of Agriculture must be a common concern because it is a representation of President Prabowo Subianto's vision for food sovereignty. Therefore, he wants the self-sufficiency launched to be achieved briefly.

"So the strengthening of the irrigation that we are doing together I am sure that we can accelerate self-sufficiency. And therefore, I hope we pay attention to food security," he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman welcomed the collaboration of water irrigation infrastructure development which will be carried out with the Ministry of Public Works, as well as the ranks of the Indonesian Army.

"The Ministry of Agriculture is moving to provide production facilities, then the Ministry of Public Works essentially helps provide three times of water, and the TNI is our driving force in the field so that it can accelerate the waters to achieve food self-sufficiency," he explained.