REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir said BUMN fully supports President Prabowo Subianto's goal of making Indonesia capable of food self-sufficiency in the next four to five years. Erick's commitment was demonstrated by immediately coordinating with Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Amran Sulaiman at the office of the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan), Jakarta, Tuesday (22/10/2024).
“We have the first coordination meeting, we have a full agreement to support the program of Mr. President Prabowo, so that we synergize all the policies that are necessary for the Ministry of Agriculture,” said the bloodied man from Lampung and Majalengka.
Erick said BUMN has a Holding Perkebunan Nusantara PTPN III (Persero) that can help the Ministry of Agriculture in spurring increased agricultural productivity. Erick invited the Ministry to utilize PTPN's land to support agricultural productivity in order to reach the food self-sufficiency target.
“Also later policy for PTPN, for also the allocation of land that is really needed for food self-sufficiency,” said the former Inter Milan president.
Erick stressed efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency targets require the collaboration of all parties. This is why Erick invited a number of leading directors of food enterprises such as President Director of PT Pupuk Indonesia Rahmad Pribadi, President Director of Perum Bulog Wahyu Suparyono, to PTPN President Director Abdul Ghani to attend the coordination meeting with Mentan Amran.
Mentan Amran Sulaiman appreciated Erick's move involving a number of state-owned enterprises in collaboration between the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of state-owned enterprises. Amran said the food self-sufficiency target would not be achieved without collaboration.
“Agriculture cannot be self-sufficient without the collaboration of other sectors. Examples of production, rice production. Fertilizers are in PIHC. Then, when the fertilizer is finished, we produce, as soon as production folds. The offtaker is in Bulog,” Amran said.
Amran said Indonesia has the ability to realize food self-sufficiency. This has been realized in the government of Joko Widodo in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
“It means we have achieved (food self-sufficiency). We were called yesterday, his (Prabowo) order is four years at the latest. We say, God willing, we can achieve this dream as soon as possible, with the collaboration of Mr. Minister of State of State, Minister of State and others,” Amran said.