President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo visited a food estate project in Central Sumba, NTT. The food estate development program is continuing amid public criticism.
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KOMPAS TEAM
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SCREENSHOT VIDEO SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN
President Joko Widodo (second from left) delivers a press statement at the location of the food estate development in Central Sumba Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, Tuesday (23/02/2021).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The government is continuing the national food estate development program despite public criticism. The government has been warned to be transparent and not overly hasty, because the program, one of the government’s development priorities, poses environmental, social and economic risks.
On Tuesday (23/2/2021), President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo inspected a food estate in Central Sumba and the Napun Gete Dam in Sikka, both in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
Why do we have to develop them in NTT, especially in Central Sumba regency? We have to say honestly that 34 percent of the poor people of NTT live here.
At least 5,000 hectares of land in Central Sumba have so far been prepared for the development of food estates. About 3,000 ha of the land will turned into rice fields and 2,000 ha into corn plantations. In the future, the area will be expanded to 10,000 ha, consisting of 5,600 ha for rice and 4,400 ha for corn.
"Why do we have to develop them in NTT, especially in Central Sumba regency? We have to say honestly that 34 percent of the poor people of NTT live here," said the President.
The President hopes to increase agricultural production in NTT through the integrated food estate project. With this project, rice harvest, for one, could be carried out twice a year in the regency, while corn or soybean can be harvested once a year.
"The problem is the same throughout NTT, namely water. Indeed, the key is the availability of water,” said the President.
DINAS PERTANIAN SUMBA TENGAH
Bukit JW (Joko Widodo) "Food Estate" in Makateri Village, Katikutana District, Central Sumba, which was prepared as a venue for the inauguration of a "food estate" by President Joko Widodo, Sunday (14/2/2021). Central Sumba Agricultural Service Documents.
Most of NTT is dry area. Rainfall is so little that rice harvest can only be done once a year, because irrigation relies on rain.
In response to this problem, the government built several pumped wells in rice fields and large reservoirs in Central Sumba between 2015 and 2018. The construction of the wells and reservoirs, which are part of the food estate project, has been completed.
If we do this, I believe, the food estates in Central Kalimantan, North Sumatra and NTT can ensure food security for our country.
However, the President acknowledged that their number was still too small to meet the required water supply. He ordered the Public Works and Housing Ministry to study the construction of more dams or reservoirs as well as pumped wells in Central Sumba, as proposed by regional leaders.
"If we do this, I believe, the food estates in Central Kalimantan, North Sumatra and NTT can ensure food security for our country. And later we will ‘copy’ those projects to other provinces that are ready, "said the President.
Scientific rules
Dwi Andreas Santosa, a professor at Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), said food estates had also been developed under the New Order regime and under Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s presidential administration. "All failed, it\'s just a story. Why did the food estate projects in the last quarter century fail? Because all of them were not based on scientific principles, "he said.
The scientific principles in question involve four pillars, namely first, soil suitability and agro-climatology, second, infrastructure feasibility, third, the feasibility of cultivation and technology and fourth, social and economic feasibility.
"If any one of them is not met, the project is not feasible. For example, from the economic view, as long as the yield of the rice fields is below 4 tons of dry, unhulled rice per hectare, I am quite sure it will fail," said Andreas.
TANGKAPAN LAYAR AKUN RESMI SEKRETARIAT PRESIDEN DI KANAL YOUTUBE
President Joko Widodo signed the inscription on the inauguration of the Napun Gete Dam in Sikka Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Tuesday (23/2/2021).
Evaluation needed
The government, according to Andreas, must evaluate the ongoing food estate projects. If they are a not feasible, the government must have the courage to correct policies and devise more appropriate strategies.
Meanwhile, peat researchers of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) in Central Kalimantan and the Madani Sustainable Foundation said the food estate projects had failed to meet its target because they were developed in a hurry. Such projects also receive many government facilities, because they are part of the National Strategic Programs.
Peat researcher Clorinda Wibowo said the policy behind the food estate program should be reviewed, because it was not based on thorough study.
With regard to the food estate program in Central Kalimantan, the public have been informed that the food estate will be built on the former One Million Hectare Peatland Development (PLG) site.
"The location of the food estate will be on the ex-PLG site, which was created to protect the peat ecosystem. Therefore, the land should not be cleared, because it has an important function in regulating water management and preventing peatland fires," she said.
Apart from NTT, previous governments have built food estates in Central Kalimantan and North Sumatra. In Central Kalimantan, the target area is 168,000 ha. So far, only about 10,000 ha in Pulang Pisau regency and 20,000 in Kapuas regency have been realized.
In North Sumatra, the target area for food estates is around 60,000 ha spread across four regencies, namely Humbang Hasundutan, North Tapanuli, Tapanuli Tengah, and Pakpak Bharat. (MTK/ LAS / INA / KOR)
This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.
