In his speech, Prabowo expressed his deep appreciation for farmers, who are the backbone of the nation.
"Farmers are the producers of food. Without food, there is no nation. Without food, there is no Indonesia," he said while delivering a speech in front of thousands of farmers and invited guests, which was followed online via the Presidential Secretariat channel here on Monday.
He also criticized the attitude of some elites, who, he believes, do not fully understand the importance of farmers' role in ensuring the country's sustainability.
The Head of State emphasized that the key to successful development is not only intellectualism, but also common sense and a genuine love for the people.
"We need intelligent people, but what is more important is those who have common sense and truly love the people. Sometimes, people are too smart but end up achieving nothing," he said, evoking laughter and applause from the audience.
On the occasion, Prabowo also lauded reports from several regions about their agricultural progress. For example, Ngawi, East Java, has successfully increased rice productivity with minimal fertilizer use as a step toward independent and sustainable agriculture.
"We will conduct trials and explore techniques and share the experiences between regions. Our goal is to be able to produce (our) own fertilizer in each village," he informed.
The patriotic spirit of the people, especially farmers, is the primary foundation for maintaining national unity, he added.
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Translator: Andi, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
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