"Given the political tensions in various countries and the threat of climate change, we need the active involvement of all parties to boost agricultural production," he added.
He made this statement virtually during the opening of the XVI Indonesian Farmers and Fishers National Week (Penas Tani), observed from June 10 to 15, 2023, at the Sutan Sjahrir Air Base in Padang, West Sumatra.
To meet the national food requirements, there is a need to increase domestic food production. Additionally, local food products should be exported as commodities to other countries.
According to Hartarto, the government has been preparing and constructing various supporting infrastructures for the agriculture sector in recent years, including dams used as water supply sources.
Transportation facilities are also being developed to reduce logistic costs in the agriculture sector. Furthermore, the government is promoting climate change-adaptive mainstay commodities and implementing smart agriculture practices.
Additionally, the government is distributing agricultural tools and machinery, as well as implementing the government-backed loan program Kredit Usaha Rakyat (KUR) through banks under the State-Owned Banks Association (Himbara) for farmers across the country.
"This year, the budget for the agriculture sector under the KUR program is Rp450 trillion (around US$30.22 billion)," the minister stated.
Considering the significant budget provided by the government, Hartanto urged the Ministry of Agriculture to further encourage district and city governments, farmers' groups, farmers, and fishers to make optimal use of the KUR program.
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Translator: Muhammad Zulfikar, Raka Adji
Editor: Anton Santoso
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