Agricom.id, JAKARTA – The expert team of Vice President, Ma'ruf Amin; Nurdin Tampubolon supported the new food estate of the central government. Nurdin told that when meeting Minister of Agriculture, SyahruI Yasin Limpo in the office of ministry of agriculture, Jalan Harsono RM, Ragunan, South Jakarta, Monday (15/6/2020).

"After I spoke with Minister Syahrul, he is excited to develop the food estate in Indonesia. He is eager to succeed and run the program,” Nurdin said, as in the official written statement to Agricom.id.

He also thought that every side should support the program for having the better future of agriculture. The support could be from the corporates and the local people of Central Kalimantan, and others.

“We think that the program is worth supported by every side including the corporates and the people in Central Kalimantan so that they participate to develop the food estate in Indonesia. We could also be the biggest producer of paddy, rice, or others,” he said.

To succeed the plan, he hoped that there would be synergy among the government and other stakeholders to maximize the goals of President Joko Widodo’s plan.

“Hopefully Minister Syahrul, his officers, and the synergy among ministry of agriculture and other institutions could run (well), including the academy, corporate to support the increasing food production of Indonesia in the foreign countries that internationally compete,” he said.

He also admired the work of Minister  Syahrul to maintain the food security during the fasting days, Idul Fitri and the spread of corona virus (Covid-19). He thought that in the Covid-19 which still hits, the people are not lack of food.

“I know that what Minister Syahrul has done is the good and strategic one to fulfill the food for the citizens of Indonesia though in the Covid-19 pandemic. We are not lack of food,” he ended his word.

In the previous, the government decided that Central Kalimantan is as the province of food estate (food barn). This would be done in the former areas of Peat Development. It is also planned that the area would be the new food barn out of Java island and becomes one National Strategic Program in 2020-2024.

It would be running in 2020 - 2022. The target is that in 2022 the 165.000 hectare – areas would have optimal production. Besides ministry of agriculture, the food estate program would be done by ministry of public work and people’s housing and ministry of enterprises. (A2)