Agricom.id, JAKARTA – The food security and politics observer in Indonesia, Prof. Tjipta Lesmana was optimist with the hard work of the farmers and the government which collaborate to produce food to fulfill the daily needs during the corona virus (Covid-10) pandemic and in the fasting days, and heading to lebaran.

He thought that the food needs for the poor people could run well if the central and regional governments cooperate to improve the distribution, namely to the poor people.

“I believed that the daily food needs for the people are more than enough. Ministry of agriculture has prepared rice, eggs, meat, and others in the old days. But what is about the distribution? I agree if it needs to improve,” he said, Saturday (2/5/2020), as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He thought that the hunger should be the priority for it could influence the big social issues. He said that the instinct to survive is the most powerful thing in every man.

So it needs to make detail data until in the village. This should be done so that the regional and central government have the recap of every region to distribute (the food).

“If the Covid-19 pandemic runs for some time until July or September 2020, the food would be the hardest issue for the government. That is why the government should prepare every worst possibility during the Covid-19 pandemic. But once again, I support the hard work, namely in the preparation and distribution of the food materials equally,” he said.

About this, Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo told that until now ministry of agriculture is improving the distribution system by making cooperation with other related ministries and institutions, such as, Badan Urusan Logistik (Bulog) and ministry of trade.

“This is what President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) told that every one of us in the ministries cooperates to cover the deficit. It means that there is no lock-down, no isolation, no block to distribute the food,” he said.

But he ensured that eleven main daily needs nationally are in good condition and in control, such as, rice, meat, cooking oil, egg, onion, chili, and sugar.

“Everything is in control because the government has calculated the food stocks. Insya Allah if the people do not panic, and there would be no traders ‘play game’ with the food, and this situation, ours would be in control,” he said. (A2)