"We still need to work hard to resolve our food issue," Jokowi noted in his remark at the Opening of the IV/2023 PDIP National Working Meeting in Jakarta on Friday.
The head of state pointed out that the amount of reservoir infrastructure in Indonesia is still very small in comparison with other countries. The total existing reservoir infrastructure for irrigation needs of Indonesia's agricultural land still amounted to 230 units.
Currently, the government is building 61 reservoirs that are targeted to be completed in 2024, he stated.
Quoting a statement from Indonesia's first president, Soekarno, Jokowi remarked that food is the lifeblood of a nation, especially in the midst of a food crisis and the world geopolitical turmoil due to the Russia-Ukraine war.
"(This is) especially (important) since our population is already 278 million, and the world population is more than eight billion," he stressed.
According to the president, Indonesia's population is projected to reach 310 million people in 2030, with an average population growth of around 1.25 percent per year.
"Therefore, food is the key to our nation. Food is the lifeblood of a nation, that is very true," he emphasized.
On that occasion, the president advised the government to prepare a tactical vision for the food security sector in the next five to 10 years.
"In the next 5-10 years, we must have a tactical vision and a detailed plan to map out how much time we need, how many reservoirs to prepare, and how many kilometers of irrigation must be prepared. These problems must be resolved," he accentuated.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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