"Agriculture must be national power. We, Indonesia, must not hesitate, whether it is pertaining to challenges of food crisis, bad weather, and global tensions, agriculture and farmers are ready to become the nation's food buffer," Minister Limpo observed while opening the “Training of Trainers — Low-Cost Precision Farming” in South Lampung, Lampung, on Saturday.
According to him, since the national independence era, the agricultural sector and Indonesian farmers have always played a vital role by contributing to the state's food stocks at all times.
"Since Indonesia's independence, farmers and agriculture have a very crucial contribution. Not just weaponries and the national defense force are the important ones because food must also be prepared," the minister said.
Moreover, when Indonesia experienced economic crises, the agricultural sector became the backbone of the nation, he pointed out.
"I am the eyewitness of history. Even during a terrible economic crisis, increase in world food prices, Indonesia has adequate resilience from its agricultural (potential)," he said.
During the 2.5-year-long COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, the performance of all sectors regressed, the agriculture sector alone showed a growth of 16.24 percent, he added.
"This is data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), not our data. In fact, in the past three years, our food (stock) has been extraordinary," the minister said.
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Translator: Dian Hadiyatna, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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