DEPUTY Minister of Agriculture (Wamentan) Sudaryono accompanied the Minister of Immigration and Community Affairs (Minister Impas) Agus Andrianto on a working visit to Karanganyar Prison on Nusakambangan Island, Cilacap, Central Java, on Friday (1/11).
This visit aims to explore the potential for developing idle land around prisons to support the national food security program.
In his statement, Sudaryono emphasized that the Ministry of Agriculture is committed to optimizing the land around Nusakambangan Prison as productive land for growing strategic food commodities.
This step is considered to be in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency in the next three years.
“I have spoken with the Minister of Immigration and Corrections about using the land there as a form of support for food security,” said Sudaryono on Sunday (3/11).
Sudaryono, who is familiarly called Mas Dar, added that Nusakambangan Island with an area of around 12 thousand hectares has great potential to be used as food production land.
This program not only aims to meet prison food needs, but also provides farming and animal husbandry skills to inmates, so that they have provisions when they return to society.
Apart from that, Sudaryono emphasized his commitment to continuing the program food estate which had been initiated by the previous government, with a focus on strengthening food security.
“We will evaluate and continue initiatives that have proven to be effective, because food estate “It is directly related to national food security,” he explained.
Impas Minister Agus Andrianto also emphasized the importance of forming cooperatives in prisons managed by inmates, including canteen management.
“With the existence of a cooperative, every purchase in the canteen will provide benefits to the inmates, because the results will return to them,” he said.
Agus also conveyed plans to collaborate with Bank BRI to open savings accounts for inmates.
The premiums from their work will be deposited in this account and can only be accessed after they have completed their sentence, providing them with financial provisions for social reintegration.
It is hoped that this joint initiative will not only support food independence, but also prepare inmates to return to society with better skills and capital. (RO/Z-10)
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**Interview with Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono on Food Security Initiatives in Nusakambangan Island**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Deputy Minister Sudaryono. Could you tell us about your recent visit to Nusakambangan Island and its significance for food security in Indonesia?
**Sudaryono:** Thank you for having me. Our visit to Nusakambangan Island, particularly to the Karanganyar Prison, is part of our initiative to explore the potential of underutilized land in the area. We aim to transform this land into productive farming areas which will not only support food security in Indonesia but also meet the needs within the prison system itself.
**Interviewer:** That sounds intriguing. What specific actions are being taken to optimize the land around the prison?
**Sudaryono:** We’re looking at strategies to cultivate strategic food commodities on the approximately 12,000 hectares of land available on the island. This includes discussions with the Minister of Immigration and Corrections on how we can best utilize this space for productive farming and livestock management.
**Interviewer:** How does this initiative align with the national agenda for food self-sufficiency?
**Sudaryono:** President Prabowo Subianto has set clear goals for achieving food self-sufficiency in the next three years. By activating unused land in Nusakambangan, we believe we can make significant contributions towards that goal while also enhancing the skillsets of inmates through agriculture and animal husbandry training.
**Interviewer:** Is this project expected to also benefit the local economy?
**Sudaryono:** Absolutely. By creating a stable source of food production, we expect that this initiative will not only improve food supply chains but also create job opportunities in the agricultural sector, benefiting both the inmates and the surrounding community.
**Interviewer:** what are the next steps following this visit?
**Sudaryono:** We’ll be working closely with various stakeholders to develop a comprehensive plan for land optimization. Our goal is to start pilot projects as soon as possible, ensuring that we’re making an impactful contribution to both food security and rehabilitation of inmates.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Deputy Minister Sudaryono, for sharing your insights and plans for Nusakambangan Island. It sounds like a promising initiative.
**Sudaryono:** Thank you for having me. We’re excited about the potential that lies ahead!