Minister Of Agriculture: Food Estate Project Must Continue

Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman (Photo: dock. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman ensured that the food estate project in the startup area continued in the Prabowo Subianto-Giran Rakabuming Raka era.

"Oh yes, we have to continue. We will continue what has been started, the food estate is for the future of the country, for the country, for food. Remember, food security is synonymous with state security," he said at the Jakarta Presidential Palace complex, Wednesday.

The startup food estate project, one of which is held in Central Kalimantan (Central Kalimantan) covers 30,000 hectares of land in the former peatlands area.

Amran said, the food estate, which is designed with the concept of integrated food development in Central Kalimantan, has been equipped with an irrigation system for rice plants on a stretch of around 100 thousand hectares of rice fields.

"We will repair it. So Central Kalimantan has land that has 100 thousand hectares of irrigation. It can be developed 200 thousand hectares, it is for rice fields," he said.

The irrigation installation, said Amran, has also been prepared to irrigate rice fields of up to 500 thousand hectares.

Amran said, as many as 1,000 hectares of which are ready to be planted with rice.

"Unfortunately there is irrigation but there are no rice fields. We will continue, there are 100 thousand, maybe later to 200 thousand, and our target is 400 thousand to 500 thousand hectares," he said.