Amran Calls For Acceleration Of Planting To Increase Food Production

Illustration of rice fields (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Andi Amran Sulaiman reminded all parties to immediately go down to the fields or accelerate planting as an effort to increase food production in order to achieve food self-sufficiency.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Merah Putih called us all. Immediately go down to the fields to ensure the cultivation, we cannot delay it any longer," Amran said while giving directions at the Coordination Meeting with the head of the provincial and district/city agricultural offices in Jakarta, Saturday.

In his directive, Amran emphasized that there was no time to postpone the planting process. More than 700 agricultural officials from all over Indonesia attended the meeting to listen to the directions and strategies to be implemented.

Amran also highlighted the importance of synergy between local governments, the TNI, and the Police in pursuing plant targets. He stressed the need to synergize to close the production deficit that occurred in the previous year due to El Nino's prolonged natural phenomenon.

In an effort to ensure the smoothness of the planting process, Amran also encourages the use of the pumping system in agricultural land. This is expected to increase efficiency in the use of water and accelerate the growth process of plants.

Red and white call us all. Immediately go down to the fields to ensure planting and do pumping," Amran said in a written statement in Jakarta.

The Minister of Agriculture also hopes that dams and reservoirs that can be pumped will immediately be carried out, especially those with Central Java, Yogyakarta and Banten.

"We are preparing a pump. We hope to start the acceleration of planting soon. Currently, the Food Emergency Task Force Team has been formed and went to the field," said Amran.

According to him, with the strong commitment and cooperation of all stakeholders, it is hoped that Indonesia's food self-sufficiency target can be achieved in a faster and more efficient time. All parties are expected to unite in responding to the call of "Red and White" to strengthen the country's food security.

The Ministry of Agriculture is promoting a river pumping program for 1 million hectares in 500 thousand hectares of land for the Java Island region, and 500 thousand hectares of land outside Java. In addition, optimize the land so that it can increase production.

"We ask to use gogo rice or rice fields. Currently, we are also strengthening the optimization of swampland. Let's join hands to get down to the rice fields, the red and white call," said Amran.

Amran is optimistic that if this is done, then Indonesia will escape the threat of a food crisis and help other countries in the world.

Finally, I wish you a good job and for those who survived entering the holy month of Ramadan, "concluded Amran.