Mamuju (Antara Bali) - The Provincial administration of West Sulawesi said it will launch a program to develop non rice food to reduce dependence on the rice staple food.
The program will be carried out this year by growing non rice food crops like tubers and banana, West Sulawesi Governor Anwar Adnan Saleh said here on Friday.
The provincial agriculture office and the Food Security Agency will work together to carry out the program, to boost production of non rice food, Anwar said.
"The provincial administration is set to carry out the program. It is in line with the government program to reduce rice consumption," he said. He pledged support from the government by providing appropriate technology , fertilizer and seeds for the farmers.
The program will reduce 2 percent dependence on rice as food staple and at the same time provide greater opportunities for households to develop home industries, he said.
The governor has expressed opposition to the policy of importing rice from abroad by the central government. "I don't agree with the policy of the central government in importing rice to meet domestic requirement," he said. (*/DWA)
