Bapanas encourages use of superior rice seeds for self-sufficiency

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi is pushing for the use of superior rice seeds to boost productivity in supporting the achievement of food self-sufficiency in the country.

Adi in a Bapanas statement here on Sunday highlighted the importance of developing quality rice seed centers that are able to boost productivity and support the national food self-sufficiency to be achieved faster.

He affirmed that he had accompanied Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan to monitor a land managed by PT Sang Hyang Seri (SHS) and state-run food holding ID FOOD in Subang, West Java, as a center of superior rice seed production.

"The best seeds will determine the scale of productivity during harvest. The food self-sufficiency target would be achieved faster," he said.

The SHS's rice seed center in Subang has an area of 3,200 hectares and is expected to be an important foundation in increasing domestic rice production. Adi expressed optimism that the seeds from the seed center could help boost the harvest productivity to reach 7 to 8 tons per hectare.

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"If more farmers plant rice by using seeds from there (the seed center), it can help increase the national production by up to 20 percent. We then can avoid imports," he said.

He ensured that the government is making efforts for the absorption of farmers' yields by state-run logistics company Bulog to maintain the government rice reserve stocks.

The Bapanas head noted that data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) showed that the national rice productivity in 2023 reached 52.85 quintals per hectare, increased from 51.28 quintals per hectare in 2020.

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He also ensured the government's commitment to maintaining government food reserve stocks that will be used for government intervention programs, including the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals program in early 2025.

Achieving food self-sufficiency is one of the goals being pursued by the Indonesian government under the presidency of President Prabowo Subianto. Earlier, while delivering his inaugural speech here on Sunday (October 20), President Prabowo expressed optimism that Indonesia would achieve food self-sufficiency in four to five years.