"We are also now encouraging the Makmur Program initiated by Pupuk Indonesia, state-owned banks (Himbara), and other related state-owned enterprises to increase employment opportunities in agriculture, which currently only amounts to 348 thousand farmers in the SOEs ecosystem. We will push it to 1.2 million farmers," the minister informed in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He said that this effort was in line with the target of food self-sufficiency, especially, at the present time, for sugar.
"This Makmur ecosystem program ensures job creation and increases farmers' income to be higher," Thohir said.
Earlier, Deputy Director of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) Eko Listiyanto had said that SOEs have an important role in supporting and voicing the G20 agenda related to improving farmers' welfare.
In terms of food security, farmers are playing an important role in executing the program, he added.
Thus, farmers' welfare has become the main thrust of programs initiated by SOEs such as the Makmur Program, he said.
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The Makmur Program consists of various measures designed to support farmers and agricultural cultivation, starting from the management of sustainable crop cultivation, information and assistance on agricultural cultivation, digital farming, and agricultural mechanisms.
Furthermore, the program also enables access to capital and provides protection against agricultural risks as well as market guarantees for farmers.
Listiyanto said that farmers' welfare has become a national concern, and has been raised to a global level.
According to him, the most important thing for this program is to improve farmers' welfare since that is crucial for realizing sustainable food security.
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Translator: Aji Cakti, Resinta S
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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