Deputy Cooperatives Minister Farida Farichah said on Saturday that rural areas hold vast natural resources that remain underused.
"The potential of our villages must be pushed forward because Indonesia’s natural resources are largely found in rural areas,” she said in Tangerang, Banten.
She said agricultural optimisation can be carried out by all Merah Putih village and neighbourhood cooperatives, which could then generate a positive domino effect for local economies.
“We want these cooperatives to fully maximise the resources in their villages,” she said.
Farida noted that Banten province has strong potential to expand onion farming thanks to its strategic land availability.
She encouraged Merah Putih cooperatives in the region to innovate in running their business units.
“Beyond meeting local consumption, production can be expanded to supply onions to other regions,” she said.
She also called on local governments to play an active role in supporting agricultural innovation so it can be integrated into Merah Putih cooperative programmes.
“This must continue to be encouraged so onion farming can develop into one of the cooperatives’ business units,” she said.
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Translator: Azmi Syamsul, Asri Mayang Sari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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