Professor Of IPB: Indonesia Can Become The World's Food Barn Through The Food Estate Program

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Professor of the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) Prof. Edi Santosa said that Indonesia could become the world's food barn through the Food Estate program that has been run by the government in recent years.

"Indonesia as the world's food barn is very possible, the conditions must be really serious," said Edi in a statement received in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Thursday, July 21.

According to Edi, Food Estate will maintain national and global food security. Therefore, he hopes that the Food Estate program has high competitiveness.

"Food estates must be built with competitiveness, so that later it will support Indonesia's ideals as the world's food barn," he said.

The government has established Food Estate areas in two provinces, namely Central Kalimantan, to be exact, Pulang Pisau and Kapuas Regencies. And Humbang Hasundutan Regency, North Sumatra Province. In addition, the government will also expand the program to the provinces of East Nusa Tenggara, South Sumatra, and Papua.

Previously, the Head of the National Mainstay Farmers and Fishermen Contact (KTNA) Yadi Sofyan Noor stated that the development of a Food Estate in Central Kalimantan could make Indonesia one of the strongest countries in the world. According to him, the program developed by the Ministry of Agriculture has shown maximum progress.

Yadi said the average land shrinkage in Indonesia reached 150,000 hectares per year. While the print data for rice fields is under 100,000 hectares, to be exact 60,000 per year.

But with the food estate, he said, rice field printing grew faster and more optimally.