VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartart, has said the government is committed to strengthening food resilience and promoting farmers' and fishermen's welfare and has prepared a number of stimuli to achieve this end.



"The government has prepared economic stimuli to support the agricultural and fishery sectors," he said while meeting cattle raisers during an ‘Eat chicken and eggs’ campaign at the IPB International Convention Center in Bogor, West Java on Thursday.



The stimuli and incentives are aimed at maintaining the performance of the agricultural and fishery sectors and cover labor-intensive programs in the agricultural and fishery sectors, the President's productive assistance for micro, small, and medium businesses engaged in the agricultural sector, interest subsidies on micro business credit, and financing for cooperatives under a fund rotating scheme, he disclosed.



He also highlighted strategic programs in the food and agricultural sectors that the government has implemented in 2021, ranging from stabilizing food prices and supplies, developing export-oriented horticulture, horticulture closed loop partnership, rejuvenating smallholder palm oil plantations, to developing the seaweed industry.



The government also has formulated policies to maintain national food chain resilience, Hartarto said.



The first policy is implementing the job creation law pertaining to streamlining, accelerating licensing procedures, and endorsing exports and imports, he noted.



The second policy is digitizing micro, small, and medium enterprises, he said.



The third policy is synergizing state-owned companies in the distribution of farm products — from production centers to consumers — through the development of a train transportation-based food logistics system, he added.



The fourth policy is strengthening inter-regional cooperation, particularly in fulfilling food needs, and the fifth policy is forming a state-owned holding company to strengthen the national food ecosystem, he continued.



"The programs in the agricultural and fishery sectors still continue to strengthen food resilience and improve farmers' and fishermen's welfare," the minister remarked.



The government will also drive the downstream poultry industry to help increase consumption, which will push the demand for chicken meat and eggs, Hartarto informed.



"Looking ahead, chicken and eggs can hopefully settle the issue of nutrition needs to push immunity and prevent COVID-19,” he said. (antaranews)