Opening Congress In Samarinda, Jokowi Entrusts Tasks To PMKRI Delivering Message To People To Take Advantage Of Land

Illustration: President Joko Widodo visits the Mentawir Nursery in North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan/ANTARA

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) invites the public to plant various types of food crops on abandoned lands in order to mitigate the negative impact of food commodity supply chain pressures on the global market.

"I just want to give it to the community, tell the people that the current name should not allow any abandoned land to be planted without planting anything," said President Jokowi at the opening of the XXXII Congress & MPA XXXI PMKRI in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, as reported by Antara, Wednesday, June 22.

President Jokowi appealed to the public to plant food commodities that can produce quickly, such as cassava or corn.

By having their own source of food production, the community will have food source security, so that it is protected from pressure on the supply of food commodities in the global market.

"The easy thing is that corn can be harvested in 3 months, cassava has also been harvested in 3 months. Plant it quickly because we don't know the situation, climate change and others," said the President.

These uncertain situations, such as the potential for the El Nino phenomenon, or La Nina, can threaten production and disrupt the availability of food goods both globally and domestically.

"Tell the public the importance of planting anything related to food right now," said President Jokowi.

If people can produce their own food commodities, the President said it is possible that Indonesia will have an excess stock of food goods. In this way, Indonesia can turn the threat of a food crisis into an opportunity for food exports.

"If the results are abundant, it's okay to export to help other countries, but also pay for it. This is the situation and the situation as it is, I must convey," said President Jokowi.

On that occasion, President Jokowi explained that all parties must be careful about food because the uncertainty of food supply continues to increase in the global market.

He gave an example in January 2022 there were only three countries that stopped food exports to meet domestic needs. Meanwhile, in mid-June 2022, the number of countries that stopped food exports increased to 23 because each country wanted to maintain food stocks to meet domestic needs.

“From 3 jumps to 23 countries. Stop, 'I don't want my rice, we sell it, export it to other countries', stop storing all wheat because everyone is taking care of everything," said President Jokowi.

Meanwhile, Indonesia has not imported rice for three years, he said.

"And we have many alternative complementary staples, in Papua there is sago, in East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara there is corn and sorghum, in Java there is porang, there are tubers, this is what we should be grateful for. our food," said President Jokowi.