Building A Food Estate, Jokowi Allocates IDR 104.2 Trillion For Food Security

Ilustrasi (Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay)

JAKARTA - In the draft national income and expenditure budget (RAPBN) 2021, the government has budgeted Rp104.2 trillion for the food security sector. Part of the funds will be used for the development of a large-scale food estate (food estate).

"For food security in 2021, around Rp. 104.2 trillion is budgeted," he said, in a speech delivering the government's statement on the Draft Law on the 2021 Fiscal Year State Budget and its financial notes, at the Parliament Complex, Friday, August 14.

The former governor of DKI Jakarta said that the food security budget would be directed to encourage the production of food commodities by building infrastructure and the use of technology.

"Revitalizing the national food system by strengthening farmers and fishermen corporations, food distribution, and developing large-scale food estates (food estates) to increase food productivity," he explained.

In addition, Jokowi said, the government is committed to improving the welfare of farmers and fishermen by targeting the Farmer Exchange Rate (NTP) and Fishermen Exchange Rate (NTN) of 102-104 in 2021.

Overall, the government allocates the expenditure budget in the 2021 State Revenue and Expenditure Budget Draft (RAPBN) amounting to Rp2,747.5 trillion. Meanwhile, state revenue is only IDR 1,776.4 trillion. Thus, the 2021 Draft State Budget deficit will reach 5.5 percent. The figure is up from the initial estimate of only 4.5 percent to 4.7 percent

It is known, food estate is now the focus of the government. Jokowi has just appointed Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto to be in charge or command of the project development.

This food estate is located in Kapuas Regency and Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan. The area itself reaches 178 hectares (Ha). The initial stage, the food estate will be built on a land area of 30 thousand hectares. Then, within one and a half years or a maximum of two years, 148 thousand hectares of rice barns will be added.