Overcoming Food Supply Lacks, Jokowi Advises Joint Regional Heads Of Collaboration

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). (Between)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asked local government officials to anticipate the threat of food problems by maintaining supply and prices in their respective regions.

According to Jokowi, one of the steps that can be taken is to establish collaboration between governors to supply food supplies and stocks with each other.

"For example, from East Java, see how many surpluses there are, the less please immediately withdraw them to underprivileged areas. Don't let the supply not occur. Keep the supply, keep the price," he said at the opening of the National Working Meeting of the Association of Indonesian Provincial Governments (Rakernas APPSI) in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Thursday, February 23, quoted from the official YouTube channel of the Presidential Secretariat.

The President emphasized the importance of all levels of government remaining vigilant in monitoring food conditions in Indonesia even though the current surface looks relatively normal.

"It is monitored and properly guarded by our rice production, especially how much our rice production is, make sure it is enough in each region," he said, quoted by Antara.

The Head of State also admitted that every working visit to the region always takes the time to go to the market, one of which is to monitor food commodities, both in terms of availability and price.

Jokowi reminded that food commodities are often the biggest factor in encouraging the pace of inflation in Indonesia.

"If the goods exist, the price is right or not true because it involves inflation. Yesterday's inflation last month, almost 50 percent were influenced by the increase in rice prices," said Jokowi.

The President emphasized to the APPSI ranks that efforts to maintain food availability must be really serious.

"We want us to have the same sense regarding food matters. Don't let the goods happen later because we don't control the products, then we will shout everything," he said.

The President reminded that the challenges of food affairs are not only Indonesia, but all countries in the world.

This was admitted by the President and made it difficult for the Indonesian government to find a source of imported rice recently to ensure national reserves.

"Yesterday we wanted to import 500 (2,000 tons) just looking for countries whose stock usually piles up, they don't want to go out. They also want to be on guard because they know this year there will be El Nino. This is what we all have to understand and everyone must be on guard," said Jokowi.