"The president has always paid serious attention to the issue of food security, especially agriculture, so that Indonesia can be strong," Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo remarked while reviewing the preparations for the 16th Penas Tani as well as visiting the location for an agricultural pilot event at the Sutan Sjahrir Airport in Padang City, West Sumatra, Tuesday.
The minister noted that implementation of the 16th Penas Tani is a challenge in itself, considering the potential world food crisis, climate change, extreme weather, and pest attacks occurring everywhere.
"The 16th Penas Tani is very strategic to unite our vision, views, movement, and enthusiasm to protect this nation according to the president's instructions and directions," he affirmed.
Given that Penas Tani is important and strategic in maintaining national food security, the head of state is scheduled to attend in order to open the activity.
On that occasion, the former governor of South Sulawesi stated that based on the information he had received, it was estimated that there will be 40 thousand invitations to attend the activity.
"Please together we raise this for farmers throughout Indonesia," he remarked.
The Bintang Mahaputra winner said Penas Tani was not just an exhibition event like the earlier implementation. The 2023 Penas Tani will boost communication, including by providing examples of how to deal with extreme weather.
He said that El Nino this year is expected to have a greater impact on various sectors, especially agriculture. In fact, hundreds of millions of people are threatened by a food crisis due to these natural conditions.
Hence, at the 16th Penas Tani, the farmers attending the event will be offered an understanding of technology, science, and local wisdom that can be used to protect crops, especially during the dry season.
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Translator: Muhammad Zulfikar, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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