After Rice, Prabowo Targets "Big PR" Swasembada Protein

President Prabowo Subianto (Photo: Presidential Media Team)

JAKARTA - The government has begun to direct a new focus in the national food security agenda. After successfully achieving rice self-sufficiency, President Prabowo Subianto is now encouraging the acceleration of protein self-sufficiency as a follow-up step to strengthen Indonesia's food independence.

This step to encourage protein self-sufficiency is the next phase in the government's grand strategy to build national food security that is not only based on carbohydrates, but also strengthens the overall nutritional quality of the community.

This was conveyed by the Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) Prasetyo Hadi after attending a briefing by the President in a Government Working Meeting with the Red and White Cabinet, level I ministries/institutions, to the directors of SOEs at the State Palace, Wednesday, April 8.

"We must maintain and increase our food self-sufficiency, because the only successful one is in the field of rice. We want to achieve success in food commodities other than rice, including protein," said Prasetyo Hadi.

He explained that marine-based protein sources are one of the main focuses of the government in the future. According to him, the potential of Indonesia's maritime sector is very large and needs to be optimized to support the nutritional needs of the community.

"One of the proteins is based on fish, so how important are the priority programs of the government's work in the field of marine and maritime," he explained.

Prasetyo also revealed that President Prabowo directly led the working meeting for approximately four hours by involving all executive elements to the highest level of bureaucracy.

He said that the forum was a momentum for evaluating and strengthening the direction of government policy after one and a half years.

"Well, today he gave a briefing, as well as thanking all the executive and government elements because during the past 1.5 years there have been many government programs led by President Prabowo and Vice President Mas Gibran Rakabuming Raka which have shown significant results. Even though of course it has not resolved all the problems we face," explained Prasetyo.

The President also emphasized the importance of improving bureaucratic performance so that it is faster, more efficient, and has a real impact on the community with productive, efficient work and reduce leakage.

"He considers it important to provide a briefing, express his gratitude, as well as motivate and explain that we must work together more actively, faster, more productively, more efficiently, reduce leaks, and so on," he said.