Minister Of Agriculture Amran Calls Central Kalimantan A Solution To Indonesia's Food Problem Future

Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Andi Amran Sulaiman said Central Kalimantan Province (Kalteng) could be a future solution to various food problems in Indonesia.

"I said Indonesia's solution to food can be resolved from Central Kalimantan so that we always come here because we see great potential," said the Minister of Agriculture during the Coordination Meeting for the Expansion of Plant Areas (PAT) and Optimization of Rawa Land with the Central Kalimantan Government and other stakeholders in Palangkaraya, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, August 21.

He assessed that the area has great potential with the land optimization and rice fields printing program of 500 thousand hectares.

"We see that there is land for agriculture, 2.7 million hectares. Of the 2.7 million hectares, we need 500 thousand hectares of rice," said the Minister of Agriculture in a statement in Jakarta.

The Minister of Agriculture said he was optimistic that Indonesia's potential to become a world food barn would already be in sight. Even in the near future, Indonesia can realize self-sufficiency and cover the current food shortage, which is 4 million tons.

"If we do this well, in the next 3 years we can solve the food problem. What does that mean? We can solve the 4 million tons of government shortcut in Kalimantan and even we can achieve self-sufficiency," he said.

According to the Minister of Agriculture, the collaboration between programming and related parties in Central Kalimantan is very extraordinary, where all the programs of the Ministry of Agriculture are running very well. However, he wants a big leap towards Indonesia, the world's food barn.

"I am proud to go to Central Kalimantan because I continue to maintain its cohesiveness. The Kapolda, Mr. Danrem is extraordinary, the Assistant is also extraordinary and very compact," he said.

The government is currently preparing a swampland optimization program in Central Kalimantan covering an area of 500 thousand hectares spread across 14 regencies throughout Central Kalimantan.

Regarding this, the Minister of Agriculture invited the people of Central Kalimantan to jointly oversee the implementation of the plan.

According to him, community involvement will produce much greater economic power, especially in dealing with various multidimensional crises.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the concept that we have found is that we must strengthen the community movement. One of them is the plan to print 500 thousand hectares of rice fields in 14 Central Kalimantan regencies," said the Minister of Agriculture.