“We are preparing 10 to 20 thousand hectares of land for rice fields and horticulture,” Sulaiman said at a press conference after signing an MoU with Palestinian Minister of Agriculture, Rezq Basheer-Salimia, in Jakarta on Monday.
He highlighted that Palestine excels in water management due to its geographical advantages. It has special expertise in drip irrigation technology, which is suitable for horticulture development.
Under the collaboration, Palestinian experts will visit Indonesia to introduce the irrigation technology to increase the productivity of agricultural land that Palestine will co-manage in the South Sumatra and Kalimantan regions.
Most of the production, including rice grown on the 20 thousand hectares of land, is planned to be sent to Palestine as a form of long-term food support and humanitarian solidarity, the minister informed.
“This is the concern from President Prabowo Subianto for Palestinians,” he added.
The cooperation scheme will involve technology and resource collaboration, with Indonesia benefitting from knowledge transfer, especially in the fields of irrigation and horticultural development, he added.
Sulaiman said that the collaboration could lead to the production of 200 thousand tons of rice per year, in addition to horticultural commodities such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and garlic.
He added that the project will be sustainable, flexible, and open to expansion, since it combines the spirit of humanity with the vision of food sovereignty that is mutually beneficial for both countries.
On the same occasion, Minister Basheer-Salimia expressed his gratitude for the attention and consistent support of the Indonesian government.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Indonesian government. Thank you for supporting Palestine in all aspects, especially for supporting the rights of the Palestinian people,” he said.
The two nations signed the MoU on cooperation in agriculture to strengthen strategic and humanitarian relations.
The MoU covers cooperation in the development of agricultural products and strengthening capacity in various fields in the agricultural sector, such as the seed industry, biotechnology, agribusiness management, agricultural tools and machinery, and food reserves, among others.
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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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