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o help meet food demands next year, as well as to provide income for farmers and to realize long-term national food security, the government plans to increase its budget allocated for the agricultural sector, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says.

“We have to be able to create a rice barn for ourselves — if possible for international need,” the President said during his visit to Banyumas regency, Central Java, on Thursday evening.

Speaking in front of hundreds of farmers from the regency, the President said that Indonesia was relatively secure in terms of food supply for domestic need.

Indonesia, he added, has been self-sufficient in food for the last two years.

“However, we have to be cautious and continue maintaining the supply nationally. We have to increase it, so we can have a surplus and become our own barn for our own needs,” the President said.

The visit on Thursday evening was part of the President’s “Ramadhan Safari” program.

After meeting with the farmers, President broke the fast with them at Karangmangu subdistrict square in Baturraden district, Banyumas.

The President also said that the government had tried its best to maximize the people’s standard of living, including in terms of education.

This year, he said, Rp 280 trillion (US$ 32.76 billion) was set aside for education in the state budget.

“This is incredible, because the amount is one-fourth of the total state budget. We just don’t want to hear that there are still farmers who cannot send their children to school. We have the budget for that,” he said.