The rice stock owned by Indonesia until the end of April 2022, based on data from the Statistics Indonesia (BPS), it reached 10,2 million tons.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Indonesian government received an award from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for its good food security system and success in being self-sufficient in rice for the 2019-2021 period.

The award, entitled ‘Acknowledgment for Achieving Agri-food System Resiliency and Rice Self Sufficiency during 2019-2021 through the Application of Rice Innovation Technology’ was handed over by the Director General of IRRI Jean Balie to Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the State Palace here on Sunday.

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude, especially to the real actors who work in the fields, the Indonesian farmers, for their hard work of course, the regents, governors, the Ministry of Agriculture that all work together with research from universities, higher learning institutes that we have,” said the president.

This is an integrated work, collaborative work, mutual cooperation, and not just by the ministry alone, President Jokowi said after receiving the award.

According to him, since 2015 the Indonesian government has been actively building infrastructure in the agricultural sector, such as dams, reservoirs, and irrigation networks.

“As far as I remember, 29 large dams have been inaugurated so far and this year 38 dams will be completed again. And by 2024 we will complete approximately 61 dams plus 4,500 reservoirs, and 1.1 million irrigation networks that we have built over the past seven years," he said.

The improvement of agricultural infrastructure accompanied by the use of prime rice varieties as well as intensification and extensification programs spurred an increase in rice production in Indonesia so that the country succeeded in becoming self-sufficient.

In 2019 rice production in the country was 31.3 million tons, the same amount as production in 2020 and 2021. As for the rice stock owned by Indonesia until the end of April 2022, based on data from the Statistics Indonesia (BPS), it reached 10,2 million tons.

"This is the reason why today we were given a certificate that Indonesia is considered to have a good food security system and is food self-sufficient," he explained.

Also present at the award presentation were the Head of the FAO Representative Office for Indonesia and Timor Leste Rajendra Aryal, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, and Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo.

Among them were also a number of representatives from local administrations, rectors, farmers from all agricultural associations in the country.

Reporting by Indonesia Window