Agricom.id, JAKARTA – Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo keeps supporting the people and the farmers to be optimist in the agriculture. This is important so that they realize that the food should not stop producing.

“Food is the prior for the country. 267 million men would need food. Others are important but the food is the main one. In the pandemic, we really need healthy food, enough food, good nutrients,” he emphasized in the Agriculture Krida Day on 21 June 2020.

The corona virus (Covid-19) pandemic that hits many countries impacts to the health sector, the social – economy of the people which has something to do with the food security.

He thought that the agriculture should keep developing to fulfill the people’s needs. To realize that, it is the obligation to increase the production to face the new normality.

The government is here to facilitate and guarantee the farmers to do their agriculture business, increase the food production nationally. “The main things to do are to increase the production nationally in the people’s agriculture – base and the partisanship for them,” he said, as in the official written statement to Agricom.id.

The government re-allocated the budget Rp 1,85 billion to the seed helps, employment, stock stability, food price, distribution, and food transportation. The government prepared the help schemes for the farmers both in kredit usaha rakyat (KUR) and agriculture insurance.

“We would do the best to the agriculture as the prior program. We would trigger the food production nationally. This is the moment to start a morality nationally to mobilize every resource to produce,” he said.

He also told that the spirit should be the moment to substitute the traditional agriculture to be modern one. The innovation and technology should be the indicators. He thought the agriculture should not run in the old – fashion ways but should be modern.

“The technology and innovation should be more to do to increase the productivity, involve the young generations and start-up companies, efficient workers, expand the markets, and exports,” he mentioned.

Minister SYL also said that the food security in Indonesia is good now. He thanked that many strategic commodities have good progress. By the end of June 2020, the rice stocks nationally could be 7,49 million tons.

To anticipate the dry season, his side encouraged the farmers to accelerate the paddy planting for about 5,6 million hectares in the second planting in 33 provinces.

Perluasan areal tanam baru (PATB) would not be for the paddy, but also the corn, onion, and chili. PATB would be focused in the regions within food deficit status. The sugar, cow meat, and garlic production would be increased to reduce imports.

“We have to thank the farmers who work seriously for to produce food, to give us enough food. We have to be together to maintain the food in Indonesia. Many things are ahead and the farmers would always exist as the heroes for this nation,” he said. (A2)