"Insya Allah (God willing), we can achieve food self-sufficiency if we are consistent in building 1 million hectares of swamp land per year," Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said on Friday.
He noted that one million hectares of swamp land can produce five million tons of grains. This figure could increase to seven million tons if the land has already been in the condition of Intensive Planting 2 and 3 (IP 2, IP 3). With this step, Sulaiman is optimistic that after three years, the land could produce up to 15 million tons of harvested dry grains.
Besides rice, the minister said that his ministry is also aiming to realize corn self-sufficiency. In 3 years, the two commodities are expected to be planted in mineral swamp land with the support of superior seeds and mechanisms.
"We can do it alternately, two times planting rice and 1 time planting corn. We can generate 1 million tons in a year," he informed.
This effort has also been backed by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto who has expressed his optimism regarding Indonesia achieving food self-sufficiency in just three years by converting swamp land into agricultural land.
He said that currently, Indonesia has 20 million hectares of swamp land, which can be used as agricultural land and gardens to meet food needs. Subianto estimated that by utilizing five million to six million hectares of swamp land, Indonesia could achieve food self-sufficiency.
"By utilizing the swamp land, we have calculated that around five million – six million hectares of the land can help us to achieve food self-sufficiency. With a bigger number, we can help other countries, too. If, in three years, we can achieve it, (in) the next few years, we can become the world's food barn," he highlighted in Jakarta on November 8.
Related news: Government to establish food estate in Merauke as KEK
Related news: Food estates making positive impact on farmers, regions: ministry
Translator: Kuntum Khaira, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
