Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The government’s Food Estate project is in the spotlight. PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto called the Food Estate project an environmental crime.
Hasto made this statement while responding to the alleged flow of funds from environmental crimes to political parties. He asked the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) to investigate the case.
“So we encourage PPATK to convey this, moreover this is related to the environment. Mrs. Mega is very concerned,” he said.
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Hasto’s statement was immediately replied to by the Minister of Defense and general chairman of the Gerindra Party, Prabowo Subianto. Prabowo replied to Hasto’s statement with short words.
“Oh really?” said Prabowo briefly when met after the event at the Bidakara Hotel, South Jakarta, last Tuesday (15/8/2023).
Prabowo also did not want to comment much on Hasto’s statement criticizing the Food Estate project. Even when met today at the MPR/DPR Building, Jakarta, Prabowo just smiled.
Not only Prabowo, Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) responded casually to Hasto’s words. According to SYL, the government-run Food Estate project already has regulations, namely Minister of Environment and Forestry Regulation Number 24 of 2020 concerning Provision of Forest Areas for Food Estate Development.
“Which Food Estate first? If we are safe (and) walk well according to the rules,” said SYL when met at the Directorate General of Taxes Building, Jakarta, Wednesday (16/8/2023).
SYL added that the Food Estate project will continue next year. Even President Jokowi has budgeted IDR 108.8 trillion in 2024 for food security, one of which is injected for the Food Estate project.
“We are normal as we are, last year was also like that,” he added.
Photo: Land for the food estate development program in Central Kalimantan Province (Central Kalimantan). (Documentation of the Ministry of PUPR)
Land for the food estate development program in Central Kalimantan Province (Central Kalimantan). (Documentation of the Ministry of PUPR)
SYL also claims that the Food Estate project can help increase food production, for example rice. For example, for rice production as much as 31.5 million tons.
“We have a production of 31.5 million tons, don’t just say that you are eating more than 30 million, we are still overstocking 1.5 million tons. But because there is an El Nino we can’t be over confident, we just go with the budget we have. by accustoming farmers to using capital prepared by the government through KUR,” explained SYL.
Finally, President Joko Widodo spoke out about Hasto’s criticism. According to Jokowi, this project is important to anticipate the food crisis.
“So we are building a food estate/food barn in order to anticipate a food crisis,” said Jokowi at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Friday (18/8/2023).
According to Jokowi, almost all countries are currently facing a food crisis. For example, countries that consume wheat are currently also having a problem.
“The problem is that prices have also increased drastically (wheat),” he added.
Likewise, countries that consume rice are facing the problem of rising selling prices. So the government took anticipatory steps by building food barns.
“After India stopped exporting, everyone who eats rice, now it’s all a problem, prices have gone up,” said Jokowi.
Apart from that, according to the former Governor of DKI Jakarta, building a food barn is not easy. Where many attempts to plant food crops fail, so it must be done several times. He gave an example of what happened in the food barn in Humbang Hasundutan, North Sumatra and in Pulang Pisau, Central Kalimantan, then Gunung Mas, Central Kalimantan.
“The first plant usually fails, the second plant is still the most successful at 25%, the third, sixth to seventh are usually new under normal conditions. So it’s not as easy as we imagine,” he quipped.
In addition, Jokowi answered journalists’ questions regarding the news that the Food Estate project was controlled by only a few groups. According to him, this project was carried out by many parties.
“Yes, that’s the name of the work, yes, the work is several ministries, there is the technical ministry of the Ministry of Agriculture, there is someone who makes the irrigation land clearing at the Ministry of PUPR, there is something related to strategic reserves, it can also be in Defense. I think this force is in the process so that it doesn’t There is a food crisis,” he said.
“That there are those who succeed, only half succeed, or have not succeeded, that must be corrected, repaired, evaluated,” he continued.
The Food Estate project was initiated by President Jokowi since the beginning of his second term of leadership. The project is under the control of Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo and Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto and is included in a strategic priority project referring to Presidential Decree Number 108 of 2022.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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