FIGURES for rice production and other agricultural commodities in Indonesia show quite worrying facts. Crucial food issues are a challenge for the Indonesian nation in the future.
“As citizens and also representatives of the people, it is important to ensure the welfare of the community in accordance with the mandate of the 1945 Constitution,” said Member of Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the NasDem Party Faction, Sulaeman L Hamzah at the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) Pre-NasDem III Congress on Food entitled “Strengthening Food Policy: Adaptation Strategy in Facing Climate Change” at the NasDem Tower, Tuesday (23/7).
The Head of the Agriculture, Livestock and Village Independence Division of the NasDem Party DPP also explained that, reflecting on various agricultural and food problems in Indonesia and ensuring the availability of nutritious food for the entire community, the alternative solution that can be provided and implemented is strengthening local food and food diversification.
He added that grain-based food crops, including rice, are the most threatened by climate change and/or global warming. Meanwhile, tuber crops have better resistance and are suitable for planting in dry areas without much rain.
“Indonesia must start to be able to free itself from dependence on rice as a staple food. This is actually in line with the variety of land conditions in Indonesia that can be planted with various types of other food crops,” explained Sulaeman.
Member of the Agriculture, Livestock and Village Independence Division of the NasDem Party DPP who is also an agricultural practitioner who has been involved in the world of agriculture for more than 15 years, Ayep Zaki said that Indonesia is currently experiencing many food security problems. Therefore, cross-sector contributions are needed, both government, practitioners, and academics to develop the optimization of food land.
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“This development can be done with technology accompanied by counseling to farmers. Likewise, the role of political parties as supporting components of the state through the legislative, executive and constituent roles that can be utilized to encourage and oversee this development for the realization of Indonesian food security,” Ayep emphasized.
In addition to Sulaeman and Ayep, the FGD also presented two speakers, Teuku Achmad Iqbal, S.Si., M.Si, Head of the Irrigated and Swamp Rice Substance Group, Directorate General of Food Crops Cereals, Ministry of Agriculture and Prof. Subejo, SP, M.Sc., Ph.D, Professor (Professor) of the Agricultural Extension and Communication Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, Gadjah Mada University.
In his presentation, Teuku said that the food crisis in Indonesia was caused by various factors at the national and international levels, namely drought (El Nino), a decline in the grain market, the cessation of large exports by producers, increased demand after COVID-19, increased inflation in several countries, and geopolitical influences caused by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“Meanwhile, the causes of the decline in rice production include the issue of subsidized fertilizers that have not reached the right targets and are not in accordance with the principles of justice, aging agricultural machinery, increasing needs for irrigation channel rehabilitation, reduction in superior seeds, and budget reduction,” explained Teuku Iqbal.
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Teuku also conveyed several mitigation steps to increase rice production, namely technological innovation, improving mechanization, increasing the amount of land, improving seeds/VUB, improving fertilizers, and improving water pumping mechanisms.
Resource person Subejo provided an academic perspective, he said, global and national food problems, the impact of climate change and the contribution of the agricultural sector, as well as prospective strategies, currently agricultural businesses in Indonesia are still inefficient and wasteful of resources.
“The most worrying main problem is that food farmers in Indonesia are getting older. This is caused by the low level of formal education related to agriculture and farmer practices. In addition, the food crisis and increasing threats to agricultural production are also caused by global climate change,” explained Prof. Subejo.
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Prof. Subejo also proposed a solution, if water resources are one of the main determinants of agricultural production. The prospect is through the development of surface water for irrigation and rainwater harvesting with micro reservoirs and connected long storage ponds. He believes, this practice has been carried out in several hilly areas in Yogyakarta.
“An integrated agricultural scheme model is needed as a new innovation, namely collaboration between agricultural activities carried out simultaneously with livestock activities and production activities,” explained Prof. Subejo.
Prof. Subejo emphasized that increasing agricultural resources is needed, for example by encouraging added value in agricultural production and utilizing modern ICT (technology, information and communication) such as the internet to create urban farming that involves young people so that the agricultural sector can become more productive, efficient, low carbon, and diverse. (Z-6)
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