Government Focuses on Food Self-Sufficiency Through National Land Optimization
Jakarta – The government through the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) continues to strengthen national food security by prioritizing land optimization as the main strategy to achieve food self-sufficiency.
The Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, emphasized that his party is accelerating the increase in food production, especially rice, through the formation of the Food Brigade.
“One concrete step is the formation of the Food Brigade which focuses on managing land optimally and professionally,” said Amran at the launch of the Food Brigade training in Jakarta.
The Food Brigade plays a role as the spearhead of modern agricultural management with a profit-oriented business approach. Amran explained that each brigade will handle up to 200 hectares of land, including optimizing swamp land and creating people’s rice fields.
“Through a technological approach and involving the younger generation, we want to strengthen food security and realize sustainable self-sufficiency,” he said.
This program is supported by the provision of agricultural tools and machinery (alsintan), superior seeds, fertilizers, and intensive training.
Agricultural machinery is seen as a symbol of agricultural modernization that accelerates the planting and harvesting process.
“With agricultural machinery, we can cultivate land and harvest simultaneously efficiently,” said Amran.
Head of BPPSDMP Kementan, Idha Widi Arsanti, said that his party is targeting 4,224 Food Brigades. Currently, 1,900 brigades have been formed, with 1,154 of them operating in 12 provinces, managing a total of 230,800 hectares of land.
“To support their performance, we have distributed 2,347 units of agricultural machinery, including two-wheeled, four-wheeled, and crawler tractors,” explained Santi.
She added that training for young farmers is focused on operating agricultural machinery, farm business management, and financial planning.
Support also came from student organizations. The General Chairperson of PP KAMMI, Ahmad Jundi, expressed his commitment to supporting the Ministry of Agriculture.
“We are ready to deploy our cadres to accelerate the implementation of the Food Brigade program,” he said after meeting the Minister of Agriculture.
Jundi said, with more than 40 thousand cadres spread across various regions, KAMMI will soon map the potential of cadres to join this program.
“We see this as a real form of contribution from the younger generation in strengthening the foundation of the nation through the food sector,” he said.
The Food Brigade Program will be focused on 12 strategic provinces and will be an important part in encouraging the strengthening of national food security and realizing sustainable self-sufficiency.
