Prabowo Assures Food Self-sufficiency amid Geopolitical Conflicts

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that Indonesia has succeeded in achieving food self-sufficiency, one of which is shrimp production in Kebumen, Central Java, amid uncertain situations and geopolitical conflicts that have hit various parts of the world today.

This achievement is the result of the government's strategic steps over the past 19 months in strengthening the independence of the food sector to ensure the stability of people's basic needs.

"We are grateful that we can say 18 months, yes, I dream of a government from October 2024, 1 year and 7 months. So 19 months. Alhamdulillah, we have achieved a lot. We are now self-sufficient in food, we are self-sufficient in rice, corn, and then our protein," said President Prabowo as reported by ANTARA, Saturday, May 23.

The President, who attended the shrimp harvest at the Kebumen Area-Based Shrimp Aquaculture Pond (BUBK), detailed the current self-sufficiency achievement which includes staple commodities such as rice, corn, and chicken egg protein.

Meanwhile, for meat commodities, the government is currently accelerating production with the target of full self-sufficiency which is expected to be realized in the next four to five years.

In the midst of a global situation filled with geopolitical tensions, the President emphasized that Indonesia must have a strong defense force. This is considered crucial to protect national natural wealth from foreign intervention and certain parties who want to control domestic resources.

"We are grateful to the Almighty that we are still not involved, but we are vigilant. We must have strength. That's why we build our defense strength, to protect our wealth. And now our wealth, we manage ourselves," said the President.

Apart from food security and defense, the President highlighted the importance of closing the gap in the leakage of state wealth, which has hampered the welfare of the broad masses of people. The President is fully committed to ensuring that this wealth is managed transparently and enjoyed directly by all Indonesian people, not just a few parties.

"I emphasize that Indonesia is really very rich, but too much of our wealth is leaking and we must stop this leakage. And I am determined that I will try as hard as I can and the energy of all my assistants. We will do whatever it takes to stop the leakage of the wealth of the Indonesian people," said the President.

The government continues to expand the model of developing productive projects to various regions, such as the development of shrimp and fish ponds in Waingapu, Gorontalo, and the Pantura region, West Java. This step is an integral part of the government's major strategy to increase added value, create jobs, and strengthen Indonesia's position in the midst of challenging global economic dynamics.

The government's efforts to strengthen food security are realized through the construction of massive and productive economic infrastructure. One of the main examples is the Budidaya Udang Berbasis Kawasan (BUBK) Shrimp Breeding Pond in Kebumen, which has integrated modern technology on an area of 100 hectares.

Until the 8th cycle of operations, BUBK Kebumen has produced 1,151,497 kg of shrimp, contributing to Non-Tax State Revenue (PNBP) of IDR 83.3 billion.

In addition, this area consistently absorbs 145 permanent workers and 500 daily casual workers every day, making it a pilot of the modernization of the fisheries sector which has a direct impact on the local community's economy.