The minister said here on Wednesday, President Joko Widodo sets the self sufficiency target for rice, corn and soybean in three years.
"Rice self sufficiency would be reached in less than three years. We set the target for ourselves that in 2016 we would be self sufficient in rice supply," he said.
He said the government has set aside Rp20 trillion to reach the food self sufficiency including Rp16 trillion from the state budget and Rp4 trillion in Special Allocation Fund (DAK).
In addition, the ministry has allocated Rp4.1 trillion in fund set aside for less productive sectors to productive sectors to speed up the process to reach the target, he said.
The productive sectors include irrigation system, seed and fertilizer procurement as well as procurement of farming tools and machines, he said on the sidelines of the installation of new Food Crop Director General Hasil Sembiring.
"So far damaged irrigation channels, inefficiency in seeds, fertilizers and farming tools and machines have been the main factors failure in achieving food self sufficiency," he said.
Meanwhile Hasil Sembiring also said he was confident the food self sufficiency target could be achieved.
Hasil Sembiring, who was former head of the Sukamdani Rice Research Center, replaced Udoro Kasih Anggoro as the new food crop director general.
He said he had no special program, adding he needs only to carry out the program is already set by the minister.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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