"Rice production reaches 55.44 million tons, or exceeded 101.62 percent from the target of 54.56 million tons," the minister noted during a work meeting with members of House Commission IV, monitored online, in Jakarta on Monday.
He elaborated that corn reaches 25.18 million tons, or exceeded 109 percent of the target of 23.10 million tons; soybean reaches 0.30 million tons, or 107.14 percent of the target of 0.28 million tons; and shallot production reaches 1.72 million tons, or 104.88 percent from the target of 1.64 million tons.
Moreover, chili production reached 2.73 million tons, or 95.12 percent of the target of 2.87 million tons, while production for sugarcane and coffee each reached the targeted 34.99 million tons and 0.79 million tons respectively.
Furthermore, beef (buffalo meat) production reached 0.39 million tons, which is 88.64 percent of the target of 0.44 million tons; lamb meat reached 0.09 million tons, or 80 percent of the targeted 0.10 million tons; purebred chicken meat reached 3.77 million tons, or 106.5 percent from the target of 3.54 million tons; and chicken egg production reached 6.32 million tons or 110.68 percent of the targeted 5.71 million tons.
Although agricultural development encountered several challenges in 2022, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the effects of climate change, which can potentially cause a food and energy crisis, he affirmed that good agricultural performance in 2022 had been realized through hard work at the national and regional levels, the synergy between stakeholders, and support from the House Commission IV.
"In the end, we can get through it well," he stated.
Regarding implementation of the Agriculture Ministry's 2022 budget, until the end of 2022, it had reached Rp15.65 trillion, or 95.15 percent of the budget ceiling of the State Budget, which is Rp16.44 trillion. Meanwhile, for the 2023 budget ceiling, the Ministry of Agriculture received an allocation of Rp15.32 trillion.
In order to conduct activities to achieve the agriculture commodities' target in 2023 and achieve the National Priority target that is explained in several priority programs in accordance with the 2020-2024 National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN), the ministry will focus on four programs.
They are the Availability, Access, and Quality Food Consumption Program; Value Added and Industrial Competitiveness Program; Vocational Education and Training Program; and the Management Support Program.
"Based on these four programs, in order to provide food for Indonesian citizens and improve the competitiveness of agricultural products, the Ministry of Agriculture is trying to increase the production and productivity of agricultural commodities," Limpo explained.
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Translator: Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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