Gibran rallies farmers and fishermen behind food security drive

Gorontalo (ANTARA) - Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka reiterated the urgency for Indonesia to pursue food self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on other countries while opening the National Farmers and Fishermen Week (PENAS) XVII.

Speaking in Gorontalo District, Gorontalo Province, on Saturday, he highlighted the pivotal role of farmers and fishermen nationwide in bolstering food security amid increasingly challenging global dynamics.

“As we all know, self-sufficiency in food is one of the priorities of Mr. President (Prabowo Subianto). It is particularly crucial that our country not heavily rely on other nations amid geopolitical conflicts, trade wars, and tariff wars,” Gibran remarked.

However, the vice president acknowledged that several challenges remain in Indonesia’s food security drive, citing shortcomings in the management of the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

He underscored the importance of safeguarding farmlands from conversion, enabling farmers to access quality seeds and financing options, providing certainty to offtakers, and keeping prices at favorable levels.

Equally vital, he added, is improving storage mechanisms and enhancing the efficiency and timeliness of subsidized fertilizer distribution.

On that note, Gibran emphasized that the government had streamlined the fertilizer subsidy framework by fusing 145 overlapping regulations. He credited the deregulation move to Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman.

He further noted that the Ministry of Agriculture had initiated measures to develop and revitalize fertilizer plants and ensure adequate supplies of feedstock from various regions.

The vice president delivered the remarks before 13,000 people attending PENAS XVII from across the country, including delegations from North Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, and East Kalimantan.

Several state officials were also in attendance, among them Deputy Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, Agriculture Minister Sulaiman, Deputy Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Didit Herdiawan Ashaf, Transportation Deputy Minister Suntana, and Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) Head Abdul Kadir Karding.

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Translator: Prisca T, Tegar Nurfitra

Editor: Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak

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