President Prabowo Subianto has always had a special connection with farmers, as confirmed by Dedek Prayudi, a Senior Expert at the Presidential Communication Office (PCO). This strong bond dates back to two significant moments in Prabowo’s life. The first instance was during his active-duty military service, where he received tremendous support from local communities and farmers. The second moment was when he led the Indonesian Farmers Harmony Association (HKTI), as shared by Dedek, affectionately known as Uki.
Uki shared these insights while attending the grand corn harvest for the Food Security Program spearheaded by President Prabowo and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka in Jenggalu Village, Seluma Regency, Bengkulu Province. He emphasized the importance of the food security program, especially in light of the global situation that necessitates Indonesia to reduce its dependence on foreign food supplies. If major food-producing countries like India, Brazil, and China were to halt exports, it would lead to a surge in global food prices, impacting Indonesia as well.
During the corn harvest event, approximately 10 tons of corn were harvested from 1.5 hectares of land. With government support in the form of subsidized fertilizers, pesticides, and agricultural machinery, the cultivated area and yields are expected to increase, motivating farmers further. Uki urged the village head of Jenggalu to expedite administrative processes to ensure farmers can access subsidized fertilizers effectively. He highlighted that only 47 percent of the subsidized fertilizer allocation had been utilized by August, emphasizing the need to maximize the government-provided resources for higher productivity and farmers’ well-being.
Kelik Budianan, the Head of the Food Data and Information Center at the National Food Agency (Pusdatin Bapanas), expressed support for President Prabowo’s efforts. He mentioned ongoing coordination with the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) to procure farmers’ corn harvests. Additionally, efforts are being made to streamline the supply chains of farmers and livestock breeders to ensure favorable prices for crops, feed, and livestock.
The collaborative efforts were acknowledged before Sukaraja District Head Ramlan Effendi, Jenggalu Village Head Johni Midarling, Maret Samuel Sueken, Chairman of the National Development Policy Assistance Network (JPKP), representatives from Pupuk Indonesia, and the local community of Jenggalu.
