JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) ordered his ranks of ministers to solve the problem of food imports such as garlic, corn, soybeans and other commodities. He also requested that the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) led by Syahrul Yasin Limpo not only carry out conventional and monotonous activities from year to year.
President Jokowi made this statement when he opened the 2021 National Working Meeting of Agricultural Development.
"We know that the population of Indonesia has more than 270 million, therefore management related to food must be really serious, we really have to take agricultural development seriously, especially with regard to imported agricultural commodities," said President Jokowi as quoted by Antara. from Antara, Monday 11 January.
"We have to build an area that is on an economic scale, it cannot be small anymore. That is why I urge this food estate to be completed at least this year in North Sumatra and Central Kalimantan," explained President Jokowi.
The government is setting up Kapuas and Pulau Pisau districts in Central Kalimantan and Humbang Hasundutan Regency in North Sumatra as food estate locations.
"We will evaluate what problems in the field, what technology is lacking? Also by using technology in the food estate because it will be an example. If everything is true, it can be an example, all provinces just come to copy," said President Jokowi.
However, according to the President, the food estate must be carried out in a large area so as to create an economic scale.
"Because it's useless if you can produce but a little, it doesn't affect the imported products. The problem from the past until now is why, for example, soybeans, which are also in Indonesia, can grow well, but why don't our farmers want to plant them? Because the price is lower than imported soybeans. , "said President Jokowi.
President Jokowi revealed that farmers were reluctant to plant soybeans because if local soybeans were sold, they would not compete with imported soybeans and could not even cover the production price.
"Why did we previously produce a lot of garlic, but farmers don't want to plant more garlic? Because the price is lower than the price of imported garlic, farmers in Wonosobo, in NTB used to grow a lot of garlic but why not expand it in large quantities so that they can fight garlic. imports and is there a competitive price? " said President Jokowi.
President Jokowi also asked the Ministry of Agriculture to find a large area of land so that farmers could plant these commodities on a large scale.
"Look for land suitable for soybeans, but not 1-2 hectares, 10 hectares, but 100 thousand, 300 thousand, 500 thousand, 1 million hectares are looking for. The corn business is looking for land that can be planted with corn on a large scale, this will solve the problem," added President Jokowi.
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