KKP Expects Panen Period In September To Capai Swasembada Garam By 2024

Salt (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) has opened its voice regarding Indonesia's target to be able to escape the dependence of salt imports or self-sufficiency in salt this year.

This effort was strengthened by the issuance of Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 126 of 2022 concerning the Acceleration of National Trade Development signed by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on October 27, 2022.

Secretary of the Directorate General of Marine Management and Marine Space of the KKP Kusdiantoro said, until now, his party continues to increase salt production.

Kusdiantoro said salt production reached 2.5 million tons in 2023. This figure exceeds the government's target, which is 1.7 million tons.

"Salt production has a surplus of 800,000 tons. In 2024 we are targeted at two million tons, an increase compared to 2023. Well, this is in the process. We hope that later the harvest period in September, production (garam) can be achieved, yes," said Kusdiantoro at a press conference related to the performance of KKP Semester I-2024 in Jakarta, Tuesday, July 30.

Even so, Kusdiantoro said, to achieve self-sufficiency in salt, the government needed to coordinate again to discuss the salt threshold for industry and society.

"If there is that standard, it will be easier for us. Two million tons can be classified as thousands into the industry and thousands for consumption. We encourage this with the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Economic Affairs," he said.

He added that his party continues to intervene to increase salt production. One of them is building people's salt warehouses and integrated salt land integration.

"This innovation is included in the top 45 national innovations," he said.

Previously, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KP) Sakti Wahyu Trenggono proposed an additional budget of IDR 4.47 trillion for 2025.

This was conveyed by Minister Trenggono in a Working Meeting (Raker) with Commission IV of the DPR RI, Tuesday, June 11.

"For this reason, the KKP proposes an additional budget for 2025 of IDR 4.47 trillion which is expected to be used as input for the government in the preparation of the 2025 budget ceiling," said Trenggono.

Trenggono said, there are several main KKP indicator targets in the Government Work Plan (RKP) for 2025, such as fishery production of 24.58 million tons, fishermen's exchange rate in the range of 104-105 and fishery GDP growth in the range of 4-6 percent.

Then, exports of fishery products worth 6.25 billion US dollars, salt production of 2.25 million tons and a conservation area of 30 million hectares (ha).

He is very optimistic that if there is an additional budget of IDR 4.47 trillion, all performance targets that have been designed by his ministry will be achieved.

"We are very optimistic that the KP sector which is managed in a sustainable and blue economy-based manner and places the ecology as commander-in-chief as a driving force in realizing national food security, increasing the nation's economic contribution, supporting job creation and improving the welfare of marine and fisheries communities," he said.