He highlighted 500 thousand hectares of land in South Kalimantan as one area with the potential to be optimized and converted into rice fields to fulfill national demand.
"Land optimization and the creation of new rice fields on 500 thousand hectares of land in South Kalimantan will help Indonesia suffice its rice needs without the need for imports," Sulaiman said in a written statement released on Wednesday.
He said that the optimization of the land in South Kalimantan would yield 5 million tons of grains, adding that he has also reviewed potential land for optimization in Bati-Bati sub-district, Tanah Laut district, South Kalimantan.
"The 500 thousand-hectare land can undergo two planting cycles annually, which can produce up to 5 million tons of grain, with optimum production, and relieve us from the need to import 3 million tons of rice per our needs," he added.
According to Sulaiman, President Prabowo Subianto is pro-farmers, as reflected by his agriculture policies, such as the provision of fertilizer subsidies, increased budget for agriculture development and cost price for rice and corn, and provision of farming equipment.
With the President's support, Indonesian farmers must optimize production to achieve the government's vision of rice self-sufficiency, he said.
He also called for synergy between the central and regional authorities, the police, the military, and private enterprises to optimize national rice production.
"We have abundant water and fertile soil; we have zero reason not to produce our rice well," the minister added.
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Translator: M Harianto, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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