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Prabowo promises food self-sufficiency if elected
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President Joko “Jokowi“ Widodo (right), accompanied by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (left) and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, inspects a rice paddy harvest on March 9, 2023, in Lajer village, Kebumen regency, Central Java. (Presidential Secretariat's Press Bureau/Laily Rachev)
Presumptive presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto has pledged to bring Indonesia to food self-sufficiency so that the country no longer relies on imports.
During his speech at the Crescent Star Party (PBB) consolidation event on Sunday, Prabowo said that a country as large as Indonesia should not depend on foreign farmers to provide food for its population.
"We need to be able to produce our own food. We should not depend on food imports from other nations. There is no great and strong nation if it relies on food from other countries," Prabowo said during a live speech that aired on Sunday, as quoted from Kompas.com.
Prabowo is not the first to promise food self-sufficiency. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo also made a similar promise during his 2014 presidential run, which included the idea to stop food imports for domestic consumption.
After he was elected, Jokowi reemphasized his confidence that he could realize this promise within five years, but it has not yet been achieved.
Read also: Domestic food supply safe despite declining rice output, govt says
Prabowo added that there are many places in the country that could be used for biofuel production and Indonesia could maximize the output of commodities such as cassava, sugarcane and palm oil.
