The Government Affirms Availability And National Food Security Are Priority

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto (right) with farmers in Toba, North Sumatra (Photo: Doc. Coordinating Ministry for the Economy)

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto stated that the government is committed to maintaining and increasing national food security as stated in the National Development Agenda for 2022-2024.

According to him, the national food security program is carried out by prioritizing increasing availability, access, and quality of food consumption.

"In order to support the food security program, the government is also trying to encourage food estate projects or national food barns in a number of areas," in a written statement while visiting the food estate area in Toba, North Sumatra, quoted on Sunday, September 24.

Airlangga explained that the food estate project currently produces food crops, including horticultural commodities such as potatoes, chilies, shallots, and garlic.

"Indeed, building this agriculture is not like building a factory because building a factory is a definite schedule. But if this is building culture, agriculture. So, this culture takes a long time, and secondly, the land also takes a long time," he said.

In the field review of the food estate area which has a land area of about 1,000 hectares, Coordinating Minister Airlangga also listened directly to the aspirations of the community and local governments regarding the needs of the local area in an effort to support the success of the food estate project.

"The government continues to support starting from the supply side related to increased production, food diversification efforts, food distribution efficiency, technology use to increase food production and quality, to strengthen national food stocks," he said.

Airlangga said that it should be carried out on a corporate basis so that farmers are in groups, either in the form of cooperatives or Gapoktan. This is intended to make it easier to provide access to assistance, financing, and other facilities provided by the Government and in collaboration with SOEs and the private sector.

"I see that there are already many who will harvest here. Thank you. Hopefully the people here will be more prosperous," he concluded.