Jokowi: Regions Have Advantages, Don't Force Them To Leave Each Other's Food Characteristics

President Jokowi (doc. BPMI Setpres)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asked all parties not to force regions to grow food crops outside of the characteristics of native food plants and traditions of the area.

"Each region must have its own food advantages, according to the characteristics of the land, the condition of the people, and according to the eating traditions of its citizens. Don't be forced, because each region has a different character," said the President at the opening of the PDI-P II National Working Meeting. in Jakarta, Tuesday 21 June.

He gave an example, the land in Papua is suitable for growing sago and the staple food tradition of the people there is also sago. So, he said, don't force Papuans to grow rice and eat rice.

"Don't force it to go out of its way, from its character, especially if we know that sago is actually the healthiest food because it's gluten free, it doesn't contain sugar. This is what other countries will pursue. Things like this we often forget, including porang. Why are you being chased? Because there (porang) is also very low in sugar, very healthy food," he said, as reported by Antara.

Furthermore, Jokowi also gave samples of good soil in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) for growing sorghum and corn. So, he asked all parties not to force the people of NTT to plant rice and switch to eating rice.

"Without a lot of water, sorghum in NTT grows very fertile and green. It turns out, before that residents in NTT planted sorghum, but shifted to rice. Here is the mistake. So, we will plant large-scale in NTT, sorghum and We have tried 40 hectares in Waingapu," he said.

The President emphasized that sorghum can be an alternative to wheat whose prices are currently soaring.

"After the (Ukraine) war, now sorghum has risen above 30 percent. Our imports, wheat, are currently 11 million tons, which is very large. This is something we have to start thinking about," he said.

Jokowi also expressed his gratitude to the Chairperson of the PDI-P DPP Megawati Soekarnoputri who also serves as Chair of the Steering Committee of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). According to him, Megawati has directed BRIN to research or research matters related to food.

"The direction forward is correct. It's true that we have to go there (food)," he concluded.