President Jokowi Prepares East Kotawaringin To Become IKN Food Support

President Jokowi In Kotawaringjn Timur/PHOTO Via Instagram @jokowi

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) acknowledged that East Kotawaringin Regency (Kotim), Central Kalimantan was prepared as one of the food buffer areas for the capital city of the archipelago (IKN).

"The pumping program is one of the efforts so that Kotim can become a food buffer for IKN. If the Plantation Index (IP) increases, from one planting to three times, it means that there is an excess of production that can be brought to IKN," said Jokowi on the sidelines of checking pumping on agricultural land. Bapeang Village, East Kotawaringin Regency, reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 26.

In connection with the transfer of IKN from Jakarta to the planned city of Nusantara which is located on the east coast of the island of Kalimantan, the central government is preparing a number of regions to support food, one of which is Kotim, which is on the same island.

The Head of State conveyed that through the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) implements a pumping program to increase national IP. Through this pumping, the planting period, which was originally once a year, could be two to three times a year, so productivity increased.

In this case, Kotim is one of the areas that receives pumping assistance. That way, it is hoped that agricultural productivity in Kotim will increase, even exceeding the needs of the area so that it can be sent to IKN.

"This is not only Kotim, but other overproduction regencies will be withdrawn to IKN," he said.

Meanwhile, the Regent of Kotim Halikinnor stated that he was ready if Kotim was chosen as a food buffer for IKN. In fact, he admitted that his party had compiled a master plan related to this which would be proposed to the Ministry of Agriculture.

"Kotim is ready to become an IKN buffer. We have compiled a master plan and we will propose it to the ministry, because so far we have a fairly large agricultural land, for the size of the Kotim it is sufficient and even a surplus," he said.

Halikinnor said the area of agricultural land in Kotim is quite supportive to support IKN food buffers. Plus, there is pumping assistance from the Central Government which can increase agricultural products, which originally planted once or twice, allowing surpluses to supply IKN. Not only rice, but also palawija plants.

Halikinnor said that President Jokowi had also mentioned the development of livestock and corn farming in Kotim. This is a sign that Kotim can develop this matter to realize food security.

"We will follow up on his directions with the relevant ministries," said Halikinnor.