REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo has met farmers in the Brebes District of Central Java Province to inspect agricultural produce in the area.

"We found a pest inside red onion which means that the quality of pesticide used by the farmers was not good enough," the President said after his surprise inspection in Brebes on Monday.

Jokowi also had some discussion with the farmers and asked about the problems they face on the agricultural front.

He also discussed the recent outcome of agricultural practices undertaken by the local farmers.

The President said he will discuss and check the ways in which the Working Cabinet is dealing with farmers' problems and solutions to these.

Jokowi carried out the surprise inspection when the VVIP entourage was crossing some onion fields in the district.

He said the government will deploy Crops Directorate General of Agricultural Ministry to handle the problems in Brebes.

"I will instruct a team from the directorate general to visit Brebes," the President said.

He also found that paddy crops in Brebes area also suffered damage due to pests.

The President said his hope was that the deployment of a team of crops directorate general will be able to resolve the problem of crop related commodities in Brebes.

As an primarily agrarian country with the fourth-largest population in the world, reaching over 250 million, Indonesia has to maintain its food resilience for the people.

The country's food sector rests mainly on the agricultural sector. Therefore, it should be supported by an efficient irrigation system.

The government is well aware about the importance of having adequate irrigation infrastructure to support the country's agriculture, as that will facilitate the production of food commodities in the long run.

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