VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (right) accompanied by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (second right), Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko (center), Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo (left), and Central Kalimantan Governor Sugianto Sabran (3rd right) visit the location of planned food estate in Pulang Pisau District, Central Kalimantan, on Thursday (July 9, 2020). (ANTARA PHOTO/Makna Zaezar/aww/sh)

Indonesian Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo affirmed that the development of a food estate envisioned in Central Kalimantan will apply modern technology in farming.

At a meeting to discuss agricultural development here on Monday, Limpo remarked that the national food barn development project outside Java Island had become one of the ministry's programs to increase the availability of food in the country.

"Food estate development, especially in Central Kalimantan, is aimed at increasing food production by capitalizing on integrated agricultural modernization," he emphasized.

The minister remarked that an integrated process will be applied, right from the production to post-harvesting phase, on 165 thousand hectares of food estate, thereby necessitating the use of modern technology as well as the presence of a skilled workforce.

In addition to the food estate in Central Kalimantan, the government is developing an estate for horticultural crops in Humbang Hasundutan District in North Sumatra.

"The agriculture ministry is also developing a food estate for horticultural crops in Humbang Hasundutan District and one thousand villages for cow farms," the minister stated.

Humbang Hasundutan District, situated 1,400 meters above sea level, has a climate conducive for cultivating potatoes and onions.

The government has formulated a program to boost production capacity, local food diversification, development of a food reserves system, modern agriculture, and exports.

With food security being the prime focus, the government has been working on its food estate program by developing 165 thousand hectares of land into farmland in Pulang Pisau District, Central Kalimantan Province.

The central government is sentient of the importance of boosting the nation's food security amid this ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.  (ANTARA)