Agricom.id, JAKARTA – Vice Regent of Kepulauan Talaud, Moktar Arunde Parapaga encouraged what ministry of agriculture would do to accelerate the planting in 2020 – 2021. He also asked for the support from Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) that Kepulauan Talaud would contribute to the food security nationally.

“We have the fertile areas, endemic plantation, and other horticulture to increase. Minister SYL hardly agreed with those,” he said after meeting with the minister in the office of ministry of agriculture, Jalan Harsono RM, Ragunan, South Jakarta, Monday (14/7/2020) as in the official written statement to Agricom.id.

In the meeting, he continued, Minister SYL also instructed that Kabupaten Talaud concentrates to plant corn. Moktar has suggested the farmers in his region to prepare the areas if planting the corn.

“We have discussed with Minister SYL to help us, starting from the qualified seeds, fertilizers, and good tools,” he said.

He also explained that Minister SYL ordered us to focus to plant corn because Kepulauan Talaud is next to Philippine and would be easy to do exports.

For information, Philippine highly imports corn and this should be the chance to get and increase exports.

“This is the lead from Minister SYL. We have to be export oriented. We think of the economy,” he said.

He also hoped that by the supports from Minister SYL, the local needs would not depend on the imports and Kepulauan Talaud could be the pillar nationally and could be one export barn nationally. (A2)