Ensure Jakarta Food Security, Food Station Holds Contract Farming With Gapoktan In Pringsewu Lampung

Following up on the joint commitment between the Governor of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government (Pemprov), Pramono Anung and the Governor of the Lampung Provincial Government, Rahmat Mirzani Djausal last month, DKI Jakarta Food BUMD PT Food Station Tjipinang Jaya (Perseroda) held a Joint Rice Plant and contract farming with PP Berkah Jaya and Gapoktan Tama Jaya in Pringsewu Regency, Lampung, on Tuesday, May 20.

This commitment is also carried out by the President Director of PT Food Station Tjipinang Jaya Employee Gunarso and the Regent of Pringsewu Regency Riyanto Pamungkas in the Candiretno rice fields, Pagelaran District, Pringsewu Regency.

Also attending the event, Director of PD Berkah Jaya Budiarto, member of the Pringsewu A. Hijar DPRD, Acting Assistant for the Economy and Development, as well as Head of the Pringsewu Regency Food Security Office Hendrid, Head of Agriculture Siti Litawati, Head of Fisheries Office Nurfajri and government officials, agricultural instructors, kapekon and local farmers.

Pringsewu Regent Riyanto Pamungkas said the contract farming cooperation was carried out to optimize the agricultural ecosystem and food security. He hopes that this collaboration can run well and have a positive impact on the people of Pringsewu Regency. Especially with agricultural potential, where based on the BPS fixed figure in 2024, the production of milling dry unhulled rice (GKG) in Pringsewu Regency reaches 143,902 tons, or the equivalent of 91,835 tons of rice.

According to him, the current population of Pringsewu is 423,257 people, with the need for rice consumption from the local community of 31,084 tons/year.

"This means that there is still a rice surplus of 60,769 tons, which is a great potential to support food security both in Lampung and Jakarta," he said.

Riyanto said that apart from rice, chili and corn commodities also have a strategic role. This is also an opportunity to maintain availability while supporting integrated food security across regions, and of course price stability.

"For that, I hope that the support and assistance of both the Lampung Provincial Government and DKJ, of course through the Food Station, so that Pringsewu Makmur can be realized soon," he hoped.

Meanwhile, President Director of PT Food Station Jakarta Employee Gunarso said this activity was a follow-up to the MoU between the Governor of Jakarta and the Governor of Lampung last month regarding the development of various potentials in Lampung and the development of markets in Jakarta.

"Of course, this collaboration is very important to do, so that food supplies in Jakarta are maintained. We hope that there will be further support from Lampung, so that food supplies in Jakarta can be guaranteed," said Gunarso employee in his official statement.

The need for rice for Jakarta residents reaches 82 thousand tons/month. Meanwhile, the rice fields in Jakarta are only 400 hectares, so they cannot meet the food needs of Jakarta residents. That's why the Food Station collaborates with contract farming with various rice production centers in the country, one of which is Lampung.

"So one of the efforts made by the Jakarta Special Region Government is to carry out a contract farming program to meet the needs of Jakarta residents' rice or food," explained Gunarso.

For information, until the first quarter of 2025, the contact farming cooperation that has been carried out has reached 8,000 ha. With the addition of today's cooperation in Pringsewu Regency, it is hoped that the 10,000 ha target can be achieved.

"Well, the 10 thousand hectares are actually still not enough to meet 82,000 tons of rice demand in Jakarta. Isha Allah, apart from this Pringsewu, later in several other areas in Lampung there will be more similar cooperation, so that the area of land in collaboration can be increased," explained the Employees.

Regarding the cooperation in Pringsewu, the Food Station will be present as a of taker or guarantor at harvest time. In addition, the Food Station will also carry out mentoring activities, whether it will be technical cultivation, technology, including maybe later the provision of agricultural production facilities.

"Thanks to the Regent of Pringsewu and the ranks of the Pringsewu Regency Government for their support. If Pringsewu has other products, we can also cooperate with us, and we are ready to market products from Pringsewu," he said.

Separately, the Governor of Lampung, Rahmat Mirzani Djausal, said that his party welcomed the cooperation, because Lampung currently has a large supply of food, so it is ready to supply and provide food commodities for Jakarta.

"This village has a large enough capacity to support food needs, not only in the regions, but also for other regions in Indonesia such as Jakarta," he explained.