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President Joko Widodo. ANTARA/HO-Central Kalimantan Provincial Government

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) arrived at the Tjilik Riwut Airport in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, and later headed to Kapuas District on Thursday.

The head of state visited Bentuk Jaya Village, Dadahup Sub-district, to observe the location of the food estate program that is projected to boost the country's food resilience.

During the working visit, Jokowi was accompanied by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo, and Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister Basoeki Hadimoeljono.

Chief of the Presidential Staff Moeldoko, Central Kalimantan Governor Sugianto Sabran, and Kapuas District Head Ben Brahim S. Bahat were also present along with the head of state during the visit.

Moreover, Jokowi and his entourage were scheduled to visit Gadabung Village in Pandih Batu Sub-district and Pulang Pisau before returning to Palangka Raya.

In the meantime, the government has planned to establish a new food estate in the country to ascertain adequate food supplies for the public under the implementation of the National Strategic Program (PSN).

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto remarked in a statement recently that the new food estate will be located in Pulang Pisau District in Central Kalimantan.

"All parties will be involved in the program. This will be a sustainable program that will benefit the nation," Hartarto affirmed.

Development of the food estate has become part of the government's National Strategic Program to be implemented within the next three years. The PUPR Ministry had earlier targeted to revive 165 thousand hectares of land as a food estate in Central Kalimantan during the 2020-2022 period to realize national food resilience.

President Joko Widodo has tasked the ministry with developing the food estate that is projected to become a new food barn outside Java Island.

The PUPR ministry’s 2020-2021 priority program aims at structuring strategic tourism areas, expediting toll road construction, boosting cash-intensive labor, and developing food estate areas and human resources.

The Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantage Regions and Transmigration stated that the agriculture intensification program will cover 10,594 hectares of transmigration area in 55 villages. (ANTARA)