President Jokowi To Strive For Food Self-sufficiency

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - President Joko Widodo has expressed his intention to make the country self-sufficient in food.

"I hope all parties support the food self-sufficiency program. I also hope that farmers work hard to realize it," the president said in a teleconference with farmers in Bali, who were led by the Chairman of the Bali Organic Fertilizer Association, I Gede Sutapa, on Monday.

He noted that all farmers in the country should work hard to attain food self-sufficiency because Indonesia still imports a lot of food products.

"So far, we still meet people`s food requirements with imports, including that of sugar, corn, rice and wheat flour," he added.

The president further stated that he hopes all Indonesian farmers are able to meet their need for foodstuffs domestically in future.

"I hope we are able to meet the demand domestically within three to four years," he said.

Furthermore, Gede Sutapa expressed hope that the president pays attention to farmers` needs for top seeds and fertilizers, among other agricultural requirements.

"We, as a farmers group, hope President Jokowi pays attention to farmers` needs for raw materials for agriculture. We need an ample supply of seeds to increase food self-sufficiency," he pointed out. (WDY)