After launching the Indonesia Planting Movement (Gerina) in Banyuasin district, South Sumatra province, on Wednesday, he said that cooperation between all parties, including agricultural experts, technology experts, entrepreneurs, engineers, and ulemas (Muslim scholars), is needed to address agricultural issues.
"If we are not innovative, we do not use technology, we will not have the courage to start," the President said via a voice note received here on Wednesday.
He said that food self-sufficiency can be achieved by creating food barns in provinces, districts, cities, sub-districts, and villages.
As per a report from Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan, if every family plants five pots of chilies, the price of the commodity can be brought under control, Prabowo added.
"Every family can grow their own chilies, or maybe tomatoes, cucumbers," he continued.
On Wednesday, he officially launched the Gerina program, a collaborative movement to boost awareness and secure the active participation of the community in planting, growing, and harvesting food crops.
Under the program, two food crop planting programs will be developed and introduced, one of which is Si Opung, or a floating rice cultivation solution that utilizes water ponds to plant rice.
The second program is called Si Cepot, which is a quick harvest solution utilizing pots that has been researched for planting rice. The pots can also be used to plant other commodities, such as chilies and potatoes.
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Translator: Mentari D, Suci N, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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