Agricom.id, JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) emphasized his commitment to food access guarantee for the people in any condition, namely food availability in the disasters which take place. To strengthen food reserves nationally, he also encouraged the regional government officer to do the same in their regions.

As what SYL told, Head of Badan Ketahanan Pangan, Agung Hendriadi thought that regional government food reserves or cadangan pangan pemerintah daerah (CPPD) could fulfill the food for the people who are hit by disaster and should be distributed fast to the location of disaster.

“Regional government food reserves play important roles and they are strategic to provide food namely when some regions got disaster in the early of 2021. Besides if the food reserves are good, this certainly strengthen food reserves nationally,” he said, Monday (01/02/2021)

“By having food reserves in any emergency situation, every regional government could directly handle the people in misery fast. It is easier than waiting for the helps from the central government because there should be emergency status decision or food insecurity after the disaster in the first place,” he said.

In a disaster emergency situation, he continued, the regional government food reservoir is shorter to distribute because the food help could directly be given to the people without the instruction of the regional leaders (regent or mayor).

“I suggest namely for the regional leaders to allocate the regional budget for food reservoir. This would be the first aid in emergency situation,” Agung said.

Meanwhile Head of Food Reserves and Distribution Center, Badan Ketahanan Pangan, Risfaheri mentioned that in January 2021, many agencies that deal with food security in West Sumatera, South Kalimantan, and Jambi distributed the rice in regional government food reserves to those who were hit by the flood.

The next in the districts, many agencies did the same, such as, District of Balangan, Penajem Paser Utara, Banjar, and Indramayu for the flood victims and in District of Sumedang for the erosion victims.

He thought that regional government food reserves could be advantaged to help other regions where the disaster happens as the social concern, just like the agencies that deal with food security in Central Java Province and East Kalimantan Province. The agencies in the two provinces distributed rice from food reserves to help earth quake victims in West Sumatera and South Kalimantan.

“East Kalimantan Province committed to give and distribute helps for other where the disaster happened by advantaging the food reserves,” Governor of East Kalimantan Province, Isran Noor said when giving rice helps from his food reserves to South Kalimantan and West Sulawesi, Wednesday (27/1/2021).

Head of Food Security Agency, West Java Province, Jafar Ismail told that food reserves are needed by the people knowing that we have many people living in the disaster - prone regions.

Knowing that it is important to have regional government food reserves, Ministry of Agriculture Indonesian Republic would keep strengthening it by advocacy to the regional governments. Until now 300 regional governments have allocated it, within details, 31 provincial government and 269 regional governments (district/city). (A2)