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North Sumatra food estate to bear fruit in two to three months: Jokowi
In the first phase of the food estate program, the government built a 215 hectare horticultural area for the production of crops such as shallots, garlic, potatoes and their derivative products.
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Farmers plow rice fields in Belanti village, Pujang Pisau regency, Central Kalimantan, on Sept. 4. The government has designated the area a food estate. (Antara/Makna Zaezar)
During a visit to Ria-Ria village, Humbang Hasundutan regency, North Sumatra, on Tuesday, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said he expected the village’s new food estate to yield results in two to three months.
The estate sits on 30,000 hectares near the village and seeks to bolster national food security.
In the first phase of the food estate program, the government built a 215 hectare horticultural area for the production of crops such as shallots, garlic, potatoes and their derivative products.
“There are 60,000 hectares of [available] land here, and the area used for the program is 30,000 hectares. [Planting] has started. Insya Allah [God willing] we will see the results in the next 2 to 2.5 months,” the President said
The food estate in North Sumatra is one of two under development. Another in Central Kalimantan will produce mostly rice and cassava.
The food estate in North Sumatra will be expanded to other regencies, including North Tapanuli, Central Tapanuli and Pakpak Bharat.
Read also: Explainer: All you need to know about the govt’s food estates
The President said the programs in both provinces would establish a business model that could be further developed in other provinces.
The management of the 215 hectare initial area includes at least seven farmers’ groups that include 169 farmers in Ria-Ria village.
During his Tuesday visit, the president distributed 22,007 land deeds to Humbang Hasundutan residents.
“What is the benefit of these deeds? Once we hold them, we will have clear ownership status of the land we own,” Jokowi said during his welcoming speech on Tuesday.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony to award the deeds was attended by a limited number of recipients in accordance with health protocols. Most of the recipients watched the ceremony by video.
The ceremony was also attended by Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil, State Secretary Pratikno and North Sumatra Governor Edy Rahmayadi.
