Jakarta, IndonesiaSentinel.com — Indonesian Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman continues to oversee and push for the implementation of the Agricultural Area Expansion Program (PAT) as part of the nation’s effort to strengthen food security. While attending the G20 summit in Brazil, Minister Amran emphasized the importance of maximizing land use and implementing more efficient irrigation techniques.
Minister Amran specifically highlighted the need for optimal use of irrigation pumps and land optimization efforts to increase planting areas.
“Please maximize the use of pumps and land optimization as the achievements in planting areas need to be increased to meet our food self-sufficiency goals,” Amran said at G20 summit.
Apart from focusing on domestic food security initiatives, Minister Amran has two key priorities: advocating for Indonesia’s agricultural interests in international forums and ensuring the success of domestic agricultural programs.
The “pumping program” spearheaded by the Ministry of Agriculture is one of the flagship initiatives that has shown significant results in boosting productivity. As of September 13, 2024, the implementation of PAT reached 1.34 million hectares, with the pump system contributing to about 91.99% of the expanded area, totaling over 1 million hectares.
Amran also urged all stakeholders to support these extraordinary efforts, aiming for a stronger and more sustainable food self-sufficiency system for Indonesia.
He emphasized that international cooperation, combined with local efforts, would help the nation achieve its agricultural and food security goals.
Notably, the ministry has reported significant increases in rice production. According to data from the Area Sampling Frame (KSA), rice yields in August were projected at 2.84 million tons, with further increases in September (2.87 million tons) and October (2.59 million tons). This marks a significant increase compared to the same period in the previous year, with September’s rice production seeing a boost of over 356,000 tons and October’s production increasing by 396,000 tons.
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Meanwhile, the Indonesian Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that paddy production had experienced a surplus of 700,000 tons during June and July 2024.
Minister Amran’s efforts at both national and global levels are designed to ensure that Indonesia remains a key player in global food security, all while boosting domestic productivity to meet its growing population’s needs.
(Ray)
