President Jokowi Pushes for Large-Scale Agricultural Development

President Jokowi opens National Working Meeting on Agricultural Development of 2021, Monday (11/1), at the State Palace, Jakarta. (Photo by: PR/Jay)

Agricultural sector must be developed on a larger scale, for example by developing food estates through optimal use of agricultural technology to reduce production costs and increase competitiveness, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said.

“Therefore, I urge all sides to complete the development of food estates immediately. The projects in North Sumatra and Central Kalimantan must be completed by this year,” he said at the opening of the National Working Meeting on Agricultural Development of 2021, Monday (11/1), at the State Palace, Jakarta.

Upon completion, he said, the Government will evaluate the results so that it can identify the problems appear in the process and seek room for improvement. Then, the food estates will become a model for other provinces.

The development of food estates is also expected to cut the volume of imported products. At the moment, the price of local commodities that cannot compete with imported commodities has forced some farmers to stop planting soy and garlic.

“We cannot compete with the current prices. Thus, we must plant soy in a large area. We are not talking about 1 or 10 hectares, but hundred thousand and million hectares of land,” he stated.

On that occasion, the President also ordered related sides to evaluate policies on agricultural sector, including fertilizer subsidy that has not made significant contribution to the increase in production.   (TGH/UN)(RAS/MMB)