State Must Help People Getting Food Commodities: President Jokowi

President Jokowi presides over a Limited Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Tuesday (13/6). (Photo by: Public Relations Division/Deni)

Food security and food sovereignty are very important for everyone and food commodities are a matter of survival for the nation, according to President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo.

“Food commodities are a matter of survival for the nation. Moreover, what we need to do now is not only ensuring food supply with good quality and nutritious and at affordable prices, but we also have to make sure that farmers or producers do not suffer from financial losses and they can be more prosperous,“ the President said.

The President made the statement in his introductory remarks before presiding over a Limited Cabinet Meeting on Measures to Strengthen the Role of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) in the National Food Security Program at the Presidential Office, Jakarta, Tuesday (13/6).

Therefore, President Jokowi said that the State must be present to ensure that the people who become consumers of food commodities will not face difficulties in obtaining those food commodities and the Government must also ensure that those commodities are available at the market at affordable prices. “And, the State must also be present to ensure that farmers as producers can be more productive and more prosperous by having commodity prices at reasonable and fair prices. The State must also be present so that distribution channels can be smooth and trade chain is not too long,” the President said.

Also attending the meeting were Coordinating Minister for the Economy Darmin Nasution, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Puan Maharani, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki, Minister of Industry Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of State-owned Enterprises Rini Soemarno, Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman, Deputy Minister of Finance Mardiasmo, and Head of Bulog Djarot Kusumayakti. (FID/DNA/DNS/EN) (EP/YM/Naster)