Agricom.id, JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) did attend the virtual meeting of minister of agriculture and irrigation of G20, Saturday night (12/9/2020). In the meeting, the former governor of South Sulawesi for two periods emphasized that the agriculture has the important roles, hits some goals in Indonesia in Covid-19 pandemic, and the breakthrough programs heading in the new normal era.

SYL told that the meeting was important as the agricultural development acceleration knowing that the agriculture plays the important ones in the Covid-19 and could help the economy of Indonesia. The meeting was the place to share opinion to realize the sustainable agriculture and food security.

“It is an honor for me to speak in the virtual meeting of the ministers of agriculture and irrigation of G20. The agriculture plays the important roles in Indonesia significantly. It is known that 14 percent of the total gross domestic products (GDP) derived from the agriculture and it provided employment for half of the total citizens,” SYL said, as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

Minister Abdulrahman A. Alfadley, Saudi Arabia Kingdom as the host to the meeting of Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation G20, the ministers of agriculture and irrigation of G20, the representatives, and many international organizations joined the meeting.

SYL told that in the limited situation because of Covid-19 pandemic, the government of Indonesia keeps encouraging the significant roles of agriculture to provide employment in the villages, protect the social, increase the farmers’ economy, and make sure the food security nationally.

To maintain the food availability for the people in the new normal era, ministry of agriculture made the policy, called 4 Cara Bertindak (ways to do).

"The first is to increase the production capacity through the acceleration of paddy planting, sub-optimal area conversion to be agricultural areas, and expansion of new areas for the strategic commodities,” he said.

The second is to do local food diversification through developing kinds of food in local wisdom – base and advantaging the yards and marginal areas. The third is to strengthen the food stocks and logistic system through developing the food stocks in the provincial and people levels, and to increase the food logistic system nationally to stabilize the stocks and price. The fourth is to develop the modern agriculture through the agricultural mechanic promotion, smart farming, advantaging the screen house, food estate, and farmers’ corporates.

"Indonesia would keep developing the digital tech and innovation as the essential components to realize the sustainable, inclusive, and tough food system in the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

He also emphasized that everything increased the GDP for about 2,19% compared to last year (year-on-year). This quarter also increased 16,24% compared to the previous one.

"In this meeting, I take every one of you, minister of agriculture of G20 and the international organization to collaborate to get the solution of Covid-19 pandemic to the food system globally. We are ready to share and contribute to realize the targets in sustainable development goals (SDGs),” he ended his words. (A2)