This is the army chief of staff's program to maintain the local residents' food resilience in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.Jakarta (ANTARA) - The West Jakarta Military District Command (Kodim) 0503 is preparing 2.5 hectares (ha) of idle land in Kembangan, Kalideres, and Cengkareng for the cultivation of vegetables and fruits in support of the food resilience program.
"This is the army chief of staff's program to maintain the local residents' food resilience in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic," Commander of the West Jakarta Military District Command Colonel I Made Maha Yudhiksa stated here on Monday.
In addition, the program is aimed at providing the residents with skills to utilize the surrounding land as a source of food for sale and for personal consumption, he remarked.
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He said Kodim 0503 is in the process of cultivating a half hectare of land in Kalideres and Kapuk, Cengkareng Sub-district, for the program.
"In Kembangan, we have one and a half hectare of land behind the Intercone housing complex. The owner of the land has agreed to utilize it (for the program)," he remarked.
A variety of food crops provided by Kodim, including watermelon, sweet potato, corn, eggplant and chili, will be planted on the land, he stated.
He said the National Defense Forces (TNI) will play a role in providing coaching to residents in farming.
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To that end, he spoke of having prepared some of his men to take a farming course.
"Our Babinsa (village supervisory non-commissioned officers) have received coaching from the Army's Territorial Staff in food farming. They will later train residents (in farming)," he stated.
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Translator: Walda Marison, Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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