Ministry Of Health Prepares 75,000 Hectares Of Agricultural Land To Anticipate The Food Crisis

Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Areas, and Transmigration, (Mendes PDTT) Abdul Halim Iskandar. (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Villages, Disadvantaged Areas and Transmigration (Kemendes PDTT) is trying to anticipate the food crisis due to the corona virus pandemic or COVID-19, by intensifying agricultural land covering an area of 75,000 hectares (ha).

The World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) previously predicted that the impact of this viral pandemic would have an impact on the global food security crisis.

The Minister of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration, (Mendes PDTT) Abdul Halim Iskandar said that the 75,000 ha of land will be increased in the Central and South Kalimantan regions with the target of increasing production by five tonnes per ha. This project is also collaborating with local villagers who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

"Agricultural production there is three tonnes per ha with intensification expected to be five tonnes or four tonnes. Of course this cannot run alone and we have had discussions with the Ministry of Economy, PUPR and the Ministry of Agriculture in the last few days," he said, during a working meeting with Commission V DPR RI virtually, in Jakarta, Monday, May 11.

Abdul Halim explained that the funds used to finance rice field production come from the cash-intensive program budget. Where these funds can be used for productive purposes other than village infrastructure development.

In addition, Abdul Halim said, to strengthen national food security, agricultural diversification efforts were also carried out on vacant village-owned lands. This is done because in a pandemic like this, agricultural commodities that previously relied on imports can no longer be expected to meet needs.

Furthermore, Abdul Halim explained, during this pandemic, exporting countries will tend to shut down and choose to meet their country's needs rather than export their agricultural products.

"The results can be used for villagers or sold and then the money goes into village income. This is also the direction of village cash-intensive work, where the latest data on May 9, 2020 has been absorbed Rp. 6.8 trillion which has been allocated to 50,514 villages throughout Indonesia," he explained.

Previously, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan claimed that Indonesia would not experience a food crisis in the near future.

According to Luhut, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has considered suggestions from FAO to strengthen food security. Jokowi has also ordered his cabinet ministers to ensure the availability of supply and distribution. Moreover, it is approaching Eid Al-Fitr or Eid.

For your information, FAO previously stated that the world food crisis has the potential to occur in April and May because the supply chain is disrupted by policies to reduce the spread of this outbreak. Among other things, due to the implementation of regional quarantine or lockdown, social restrictions and travel restrictions.

According to the FAO, lockdowns and social restrictions have heavily affected the agricultural sector. Especially in high-value commodities, such as vegetables and fruits which require a lot of labor in their production.