Prabowo issued the directive to Army officials during a leadership meeting at Balai Kartini here on Monday. He joined the meeting via video conferencing.
"During the leadership meeting, the President conveyed a directive on the importance of addressing food issues," Chief of the Army Staff, General Maruli Simanjuntak, told reporters after the meeting.
To implement Prabowo's order, the Army will continue several food security initiatives, such as transforming idle land across Indonesia into agricultural land and bolstering food storage facilities, Simanjuntak said.
The Army is collaborating with various parties, including state plantation company PT Perkebunan Nasional (PTPN) and the Ministry of Forestry, to ensure the land utilization complies with existing regulations.
"We have implemented it in regions like Cibenda, Ciemas, and soon we will expand this program to Purwakarta, Cianjur, Puslatpur (Battlefield Training Area), Lampung, and Baturaja," he disclosed.
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In addition to partnering with government agencies and state companies, the Army is also working with local communities to cultivate lands.
Simanjuntak said that his side has established thousands of water sources in many areas, which will be used to irrigate agricultural land.
"We have set up piping systems and water pumps that can irrigate around 50 thousand hectares of land," he informed.
Furthermore, harvests and agricultural produce managed by TNI soldiers will be used for the benefit of the local community.
Simanjuntak emphasized that the food security program will continue to be implemented to achieve Prabowo's goal of national food self-sufficiency.
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Translator: Walda M, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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