TANGERANG - The Banten High Prosecutor's Office (Kejati) encourages the 'Keep Villages' food security program so that villages in Banten Province are able to be food independent and improve farmers' welfare. This program is an initiative of the Attorney General's Office (AGO) which has been launched in the Tangerang area.
Plt. Assistant for Intelligence (Asintel) of the Banten Attorney General's Office, Aditya Rakatama, SH, MH, explained that the 'Keep Village' program is a follow-up to a memorandum of understanding between regional heads, PT Pasar Komoditi Nasional (Paskomnas) Indonesia, Telkom University, PT Pupuk Indonesia, and a number of Heads of the District Attorney's Office (Kajari) in Banten, namely Kajari Tangerang, Serang, Pandeglang, and Lebak.
"The Prosecutor's Office supports the empowerment of BUMDes so that villages can be food independent through this program," Aditya said at the Village Guard Program Follow-up Meeting at the Tanah Tinggi Main Market, Tangerang City.
Four Regencies Ready To Plant Red Onion For The Main Market
During the meeting, it was stated that four districts in Banten were ready to support this program by planting shallots to meet the needs of the Tanah Tinggi Main Market, which has been dependent on supplies from outside the province.
"We are still waiting for data on land readiness from the district government. Once the land is available, Telkom University will check the nutrients of the land, then we will coordinate with PT Pupuk Indonesia for the distribution of fertilizers. The follow-up meeting is scheduled for the end of July," Aditya explained.
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Village Funds Can Be Used For Food Security Programs
Regarding the use of village funds, Aditya emphasized that this is regulated in Permendes Number 2 of 2024, which allows 20% of village funds to be used for food security programs.
"The Prosecutor's Office will oversee the use of this budget so that it is right on target and minimizes the risk of irregularities," he added.
Banten Agricultural Potential Must Be Optimized
Director of Paskomnas Indonesia, Hartono Wignyopranoto, added that the 'Keep Village' program aims to increase farmers' income and create jobs through a planned planting pattern arrangement.
"Currently, more than 3,000 tons of vegetables are traded daily at the Tanah Tinggi Main Market, but only 5% are from Banten. Our target is to increase the local contribution to 20%," Hartono said.
According to Hartono, farmers' planting patterns that tend to be uniform cause price fluctuations and losses. Through this program, villages can work together to plant in turn so that prices are more stable.
Farmers often lose because they simultaneously grow commodities that are rising prices. Through this program, the planting pattern will be arranged so that the harvest is not the same. This can make commodity prices more stable and farmers' profits increase," he explained.
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