Meet Farmers Good At Silat In Madiun, Moeldoko: Farming Is Not Just For Survival, But Farming For Life

Presidential Chief of Staff Dr. Moeldoko with farmers who are also members of the pencak silat college in Madiun, East Java. (Photo: Doc. Antara/KSP)

JAKARTA - Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko met and had a dialogue with members of the pencak silat college, who also works as a farmer, in Madiun, East Java. In fact, Moeldoko dubbed the members of the pencak silat in Madiun as warriors from Mount Wilis.

"Just like you, the warriors from Mount Wilis. I as the general are also warriors, but from Mount Tidar," Moeldoko said in a statement quoted by Antara, Sunday, June 12.

Mount Wilis is a volcano located in East Java and has a peak with the name Trogati with a height of 2,563 meters above sea level (masl).

Gunung Wilis is included in the area of six regencies and one city in East Java Province, namely Kediri City, Kediri Regency, Tulungagung Regency, Nganjuk Regency, Ponorogo Regency, Trenggalek Regency, and Madiun Regency.

Therefore, the title warrior Gunung Wilis was attached by Moeldoko to the members of the pencak silat college in Madiun. Meanwhile, while still active as a member of the TNI, Moeldoko attended military training at the Military Academy located in the valley of Mount Tidar, Magelang, Central Java.

"I really hope for these brave warriors from Mount Wilis to become leaders for the farmers in Madiun," said Moeldoko in Madiun, Saturday, June 11.

Moeldoko's series of working visits in East Java, one of which was to address the threat of a global food crisis. Previously, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had warned of a food crisis as a result of climate change and world geopolitical upheaval.

Madiun Regency itself is one of the food barns in East Java Province. Moeldoko held a dialogue with farmers in Madiun to prepare them for the threat of a food crisis.

"We can no longer farm to just survive, but it's time for us to farm for a living. We must immediately be self-sufficient in food and farmers must be prosperous," he said.