Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Inauguration of the Agricultural Genomics Research Center, in Humbang Hasundutan Regency, North Sumatra, October 16, 2024
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
It is evident that we are now undergoing climate change. And, the impacts are not limited to the hot weather currently in all countries, but also the global decline in food production due to unclear weather changes, uncertain climate changes. It is difficult to predict and calculate how many months of hot weather or how many months of rainy weather these days, causing food production in all countries, almost in all countries, to drop. And the world fears a food crisis.
In our country, I see that research on food, horticulture, is still far behind that of other countries. We look at coffee for example, our production per hectare is only 2 to 2.3 tons per hectare, while other countries have reached 8 to 9 tons per hectare. It means that the high-quality seeds that we have are inferior to theirs. It is the same case with rice, we are still at 5.2 tons per hectare, while other countries have reached above 7 [tons per hectare]. This means that our research is still inferior to that of different countries.
Therefore, I appreciate the establishment of this Agricultural Genomics Research Center that will increase our production per hectare, be it on frankincense, coffee, rice, potatoes, shallots, garlic, or others. Because we have a very good research center in Humbang Hasundutan, North Sumatra province.
You are welcome to cooperate with anyone, with any country. It is most important that we get excellent seeds, get excellent seedlings, so that the productivity of rice production, the production of our staple foods can all increase per hectare.
This concludes my remarks. And by saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, with the Grace of God Almighty, I hereby inaugurate the Agricultural Genomics Research Center in Humbang Hasundutan regency, North Sumatra province.
Thank you.
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
(FI/MMB)