Anticipate The Food Crisis, ID FOOD Invites Youth To Contribute To Agricultural Business Actors

Photo: Doc. ID Food

JAKARTA - President Director of Food Holding ID FOOD Frans Marganda Tambunan invites millennials to play a role as agricultural business actors and contribute to anticipating the food crisis and realizing national food sovereignty.

According to him, in dealing with the issue of the food crisis, it is necessary for all stakeholders, including the role of youth or millennials, to contribute.

"When we talk about food security, it doesn't escape food stocks in Indonesia, for example, Singapore, which has sufficient food stock, from anywhere, buying from anywhere, it can be enough, even though Singapore is a country that does not have food source, but the food stock is always safe and meets the level of public demand," said Frans in his statement, Sunday, August 28.

Frans said the Russia-Ukraine war had quite an impact on Indonesia, the source of the wheat producers was in Russia and Ukraine. Of course, it has an impact on farmers too, the price of fertilizer has increased because of its source from there. Indonesia's ambition to achieve food sovereignty, therefore it takes the support of young people to play a role as agricultural business actors, contribute to food.

A simple example in the country, said Frans, is the presence of cooking oil turmoil some time ago, we ensure that domestic cooking oil stocks are safe. Including the role of SOE ID FOOD together with stakeholders in ensuring the availability of cooking oil food, the food security situation is an accumulation of the dynamics of national food development, including the global agricultural trend which also affects national food security.

Currently, food commodities that still depend on imports are soybeans, garlic, meat and sugar. Meanwhile, rice, corn, chicken eggs and cooking oil levels of food reserves are classified as sufficient, so some commodities need to be of concern by the Government to improve production capabilities independently," Frans explained.

Frans continued as jointly known that President Joko Widodo received an award from the IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) in terms of self-sufficiency in rice in Indonesia. Likewise, we have not imported corn commodities for 4-5 years. Regarding soybeans, garlic, beef into PR together for food upstream improvement.

Food challenges in Indonesia exist in terms of industrial constraints, such as land limitations, then climate predictions and industrial competition. Then there are also obstacles in terms of farmers, breeders, and fishermen, purchasing power and limited investment capabilities, traditional methods due to lack of access to technology including the lack of next generation to participate in fixing food, therefore it takes a generation of young and millennials to jointly contribute to Indonesia's food security," added Frans.

According to him, supporting facilities such as storage warehouses are also a concern at this time to support food stocks.

The price issue still often occurs 3-4 times a year, such as today's eggs which have reached Rp. 33,000 per kg. Actually we have excess production, but we can't store and process it. Then in the future there is fruit, it may be fruit that was harvested 8-9 months ago, our farmers' production is good, but in storage and processing that we need to transform together," he said.

According to him, almost most of our food commodity production is better, even above our availability figures.

SOE ID FOOD plays a role in dealing with global food disruption, the goal mandated by the Government is to strengthen economic resilience for quality growth. "Our mortgage is that when we grow we also pay attention to the welfare of farmers, therefore we work with 2 million farmers, breeders, fishermen in off-takering and onfarming processes related to their products," he explained.

As a food holding ID FOOD has several programs to build a national food ecosystem. First, there is a food stall, how can we provide products to stalls and also as a marketplace for fellow sellers for selling and buying transactions. Currently, there are 3,000-5,000 partners, especially stalls, the target will reach 30,000 partners.

In the Livestock sector, it is now able to produce DOC Chicken with a contribution of 10-15 percent, and create an ecosystem for farmers.

In the Agriculture sector, the contribution of ID FOOD, there is a synergy prosperous program for all SOEs in agriculture and across sectors such as banking and insurance to help farmers, currently planting around 180 thousand hectares for basic foods of corn, rice and sugar cane, the target is 2 million hectares in the next 3-4 years.

"We hope that Millennials can join as agricultural business actors so that they can support the Indonesian agricultural industry," he concluded.

Meanwhile, Corporate Secretary of Food Holding ID FOOD Yossi Istanto added, the impact of changing geographical bonuses in facing the challenges of the food industry depends on how we prepare millennial young people, especially in terms of technology, all sectors, such as agriculture, need a touch of technology, therefore millennial involvement and the use of technology are needed to support Indonesia's food security.