Faisal Basri Disagrees With Jokowi's Food Estate Concept: It Doesn't Fit The Map Of The Agricultural Problem

Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto. (Photo by: State Secretariat)

JAKARTA - Senior Economist of the Institute for Development of Economics (Indef) Faisal Basri admitted that he did not agree with the concept of building a food barn (food estate) built by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in Kapuas Regency and Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan.

Faisal argued that the development of the agricultural industry should be more directed towards manufacturing than labor-intensive. Because, according to him, it is more effective in reducing the unemployment rate than in building a food estate.

"I see this crisis as a momentum for the revival of the agricultural sector and the modernization of the agricultural sector. This is what we should not forget. Not creating a food estate like Central Kalimantan, it does not fit the map of the problem," he said in a virtual discussion, Thursday, November 26. .

The revival of the agricultural sector is important. This is because this sector contributes to a high GDP, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, it continues to grow positively.

"Agriculture is an important sector for the economy. The spearhead of poverty eradication, rural unemployment and so on," he said.

According to Faisal, by carrying out a revival in the agricultural sector, at least the government is no longer dependent on imports from other countries.

"This is what we must maintain in this crisis situation, and we will not increasingly depend on foreign imports for stomach affairs. This is very important," he said.

As is well known, the Central Kalimantan food estate is a government megaproject that will support national food security. Overall, this food estate will be built on an area of 165,000 hectares.

However, in the early stages, around 30,000 hectares of land will be planted with rice commodities this year. The consideration is that the land is considered very suitable for cultivation at this time.

The area of 30,000 hectares is precisely located in Kapuas Regency, covering an area of 20,000 hectares. Meanwhile, another 10,000 hectares are in Pulang Pisang Regency.

Prabowo's criticism

Previously, Faisal also criticized the attitude of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) who appointed Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto to be the person in charge or the head of command in the construction of a food barn (food estate) in Kapuas Regency and Pulang Pisau Regency, Central Kalimantan.

Faisal said Prabowo had nothing to do with the rice barn construction. He said that the head of command for the construction of the project should have been from the Ministry of Agriculture or experts in the agricultural sector.

"That was in the era of President Soeharto failed, the era of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) failed. Well, this is with the same pattern and the project leader is the minister of defense. This is not true," he said in a virtual discussion event, August 13.

Faisal then questioned what is the point of having a minister of agriculture if agricultural affairs were transferred to the minister of defense. If the Ministry of Agriculture is deemed incapable, it can be looked for other parties that are still related to the agricultural sector.

"Then the President said it was ridiculous. He said the resilience of a country was not only defense equipment but also agriculture, as well as financial resilience. Just as finance minister, as well as being appointed prime minister. Everything is all political," he said.