Agricom.id, JAKARTA – The corona virus (Covid-19) pandemic and the big scale social distancing really influence the economy nationally. The food distribution and supply chain have some disturbance namely in the fasting days and Idul Fitri when some kinds of food increased and the price got more expensive. Facing those, the government through ministry of agriculture did some things and successful enough. the food production, supply, and the price were relatively stable.

Based on the data from General Directorate of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, in the first Planting, the paddy was planted for about 6,07 million hectares, within the harvests in January to June reaching 5,83 million hectares and producing 29,31 million tons of dry grain or equal to 16,80 million tons of rice. It is predicted that the rice stocks in the end of June 2020 would be 6,84 million tons.

To maintain the food procurement, ministry of agriculture together with ministry of transportation, and the private company in food transportation improve the distribution system; multiply the food stocks to the markets (doing operation); and develop pasar mitra tani to increase the efficient market by cutting off the supply chain from the producers to the consumers.

“Ministry of agriculture did breakthrough by taking the online  transportation service or marketplace, such as, blibli and some startup in agriculture to make the people easy to access the food needs. The collaboration described how ministry of agriculture is realy open to develop the sustainable ecosystem in agriculture through the efficient supply,” Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo said in Jakarta, Sunday (7/6/2020), as in the official written statement to Agricom.id.

The future agriculture, he thought, should be cultivated in advance ways, the latest and modern technology, creative ideas and innovations. He thought that by all those things, the production could increase and create new products which fulfill the international trade standards to get the new export countries.

For information, the exports of agriculture product in the pandemic ran well and got surplus. In January-April 2020, the agriculture exports increased 16,9% compared to the same period in 2019 – from Rp 115,18 billion to be Rp 134,63 billion. The agriculture trade surplus in January-April 2020 significantly increased - 32,96%, or from Rp 33,62 billion (Januari-April 2019) to be Rp 44,70 billion (January-April 2020). (A2)