Jokowi: No Abandoned Social Forestry Land

Thanksgiving for the produce of the Social Forestry Community Movement (Echo) which was held at Omah Tani Field, Batang Regency, Central Java, which was attended by President Jokowi/Presidential Secretariat Youtube

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo said he did not want any social forestry land that was not used by the community. He emphasized to his staff not to allow social forestry land to be neglected and unproductive.

This is because, over the last five years, the government has distributed more than 5 million hectares of social forestry land throughout Indonesia for community use. Specifically, on Java Island, 324 thousand hectares of social forestry land have been distributed.

This was conveyed by Jokowi while attending the social forestry community movement (Echo) event which was held at Omah Tani Field, Batang Regency, Central Java.

“Don't let us leave abandoned land, there is unproductive land, correct? There is land that is not used, nothing is left, and it's not allowed. Everything must be productive", Jokowi said on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube show, Wednesday, June 8.

Jokowi views that social forestry lands have an important role in opening businesses for farmers and the people.

For this reason, Jokowi directly asked the Minister of SOEs Erick Thohir and the Governor of Central Java Ganjar Pranowo to provide assistance both related to management and facilities and infrastructure.

"Indeed, there is still a lack of management assistance, facility assistance. Is that okay? Please note, that the Minister of SOEs, Mr. Erick, notes what is needed. Mr. Governor, I also ask that these farmers be paid attention to their infrastructure", said Jokowi.

Jokowi also ordered the Minister of Environment and Forestry, Siti Nurbaya, to speed up the issuance of a decree on social forestry land.

"I also ask that these social forestry farmers also pay attention to their facilities and infrastructure, right? Do you agree? really? Now back to Mrs. Siti because it was Mrs. Siti who gave the decree. I also ask for an acceleration in the context of land redistribution as well as the decree. Do you agree? Mrs. Siti, please listen to them", he continued.

Jokowi also explained the difficult world situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plus the Ukraine war, so that many countries experienced food shortages.

Therefore, the former Governor of DKI Jakarta invites farmers and the community to take opportunities and take advantage of the land they manage by planting staple food crops such as rice, corn, porang, and sorghum.

“I invite all of us to plant plants that produce staple food. Brothers and sisters it can be planted, please plant rice, right. What else do you want to plant for food? Corn? Please. The price of corn is right up. Want to plant porang, please. Porang will also definitely go up in price because the world needs it. Yesterday I went to NTT to plant sorghum, please, because NTT is the most suitable for planting sorghum because when planting rice, the water is rather difficult and the top soil is only very thin. What fits? Sorghum", he concluded.