Indonesia Receives IRRI Award for Rice Self-Sufficiency
President Jokowi receives award from IRRI handed by Director General of IRRI Jean Balie at the State Palace in Jakarta, Sunday (08/14). (Source: a screenshot)
The Government of the Republic of Indonesia has received an award from The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for maintaining food security system and being successful in achieving rice self-sufficiency in the period of 2019-2021.
The award, namely “Acknowledgement for Achieving Agri-food System Resiliency and Rice Self-Sufficiency During 2019-2021 Through the Application of Rice Innovation Technology,” was presented to President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko “Jokowi” Widodo by IRRI General Director Jean Balie on Sunday (08/14) at the State Palace, Jakarta.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude, especially to workers on the ground, Indonesian farmers, Regents, Governors, and Ministry of Agriculture who have joined hands with researchers from universities. This is integrated and collaborative work,” President Jokowi remarked after receiving the award.
The President stated that the government has been intensively developing agricultural infrastructure, such as dams, reservoirs, and irrigation networks, since 2015.
“As far as I remember, 29 major dams have been inaugurated so far, and 38 dams will be built again this year. And, by 2024, we will have completed approximately 61 dams, as well as 4,500 small water reservoirs and 1.1 million irrigation networks built during the previous seven years,” he stated.
Improvements in agricultural infrastructure, along with the development of improved rice varieties, as well as intensification and extensification initiatives, have boosted rice agricultural production in the nation, enabling Indonesia to achieve self-sufficiency.
Rice production in the country was 31.3 million tons in 2019, the same as in 2020 and 2021. According to statistics from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia’s rice stock has reached 10.2 million tons by the end of April 2022.
“This is why we were given an award today. It shows that Indonesia has a good food security system and is food self-sufficient,” he said.
Also present during the event were Head of the FAO Representative Office for Indonesia and Timor Leste Rajendra Aryal, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo, local government representatives, representatives from universities, and farmers from all agricultural associations. (TGH/UN) (YC/LW)
