VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo reiterated that Indonesia needs to become a food barn. ANTARABiro Pers Setpres/pri.

The Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture encourages farmers to implement an integrated farming method to enable them to optimize the profitable uses of their farmland for supporting the government's efforts to make the country a food barn.

"In achieving Indonesia's food self-sufficiency, the ministry is very supportive for the farmers to implement the integrated farming method with zero waste," Director General of Food Crops at the Ministry of Agriculture Suwandi said in a statement in Jakarta Sunday.

Suwandi explained the integrated farming method that enabled the farmers to cultivate their farmland for planting paddy, vegetable, and food crops, as well as raising chickens and breeding catfish and even cows during his visit to Jagan Village in Central Java.

The Ministry of Agriculture was so serious to develop this integrated farming method by providing the eligible farmers with such facilities as the micro credit program "Kredit Usaha Rakyat" (KUR) scheme and seed program, he said.

The method has become a role model for other areas, including the ones in Central Kalimantan Province that the central government has selected for its food-estate program, he added.

With food security being the top priority, 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.

According to ANTARA's observation, despite a steady rise in Indonesia's population, the country had yet to achieve food security, which by definition is related to "food availability, food access, and food utilization" (USAID 1995 in FAO).

Rather than feed its people the rice produced by its own farmers, the central government has frequently imported rice over the past years to meet the public's requirements.

This condition has, indeed, posed a grave challenge and does not bode well with Indonesia's status as one of the world's top agricultural countries.

Indonesia should not make it a permanent practice to import rice from countries, including Thailand and Vietnam, since it will potentially disadvantage local farmers and threaten its national security in the long term.

On April 21, 2020, President Widodo had called on officials to make a precise assessment of Indonesia's rice stocks.

The president's directive came on the back of the FAO of the United Nations' warning of the COVID-19 pandemic triggering a global food crisis. (ANTARA)

The Indonesian Navy and Indonesian Air Force conducted an exercise near the border of Indonesia and Malaysia.

The Indonesian Navy deployed three warships -- KRI Diponegoro (DPN) -365, KRI P. Rengat (PRE) -711, and KRI Kakap (KKP) -811 -- while the Indonesian Air Force deployed a Boeing 737 aircraft from Squadron 5 of the Hasanuddin Air Force Base.

The tactical cooperation at the Indonesia-Malaysia border area was monitored by Sea Combat Group Commander of the Fleet Command II First Admiral Rahmat Eko Rahardjo from KRI Diponegoro-365 in the Ambalat waters on Saturday.

The exercise, involving the Navy and Air Force, was an enactment of a recommendation arrived at during a coordination meeting at the headquarters of the Air Force Operation Command II when KRI Diponegoro-365 docked at the Main Naval Base VI in Makassar.

The joint activity focused on forging sound tactical cooperation between the Navy and Air Force while conducting a joint military operation to safeguard the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia in the RI-Malaysia border region, particularly in the Ambalat Block waters.

The two-day exercise was also projected to help hone the capabilities and skills of the crew members of KRI DPN-365, KRI PRE -711, and KRI KKP -811 as well as to integrate tactical cooperation between Indonesian warships and aircraft in executing operational tasks. Tactical cooperation should constantly be established optimally between the three warships and aircraft to support the tasks of the Indonesian Navy in guarding the country's waters and the Indonesian Air Force in defending the country's air space, he emphasized.

Eko expounded that the exercise had taken a cue from past historical experiences that airplanes were crucial and effective weapons in sea operations akin to what had occurred during the Pacific war, specifically the Midway battle in 1942. (tempo.co)

Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim asserted again on Sunday that the reopening of schools in COVID-19 green zones as the new school year begins today, July 13, 2020, must prioritize the implementation of the predetermined health protocols.

“Several regencies and cities classified as green zones according to the national COVID-19 mitigation task force are permitted to start face-to-face learning activities under strict health protocols,” said Nadiem in a written statement in Jakarta, Sunday, July 12.

The minister along with the Health Ministry, Home Affairs Ministry, and Religious Affairs Ministry had released a joint decree on the guidance of learning activities on the new academic year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the policy, offline classes are permitted to begin gradually, starting from the junior high school and senior or vocational high school level. The reopening of schools is also under the authority of the regional head, along with agreement among the school principal and parents.

“So schools willing to reopen must convince all the parents that the health protocols in the school are adopted well,” the minister added.

Presently, Nadiem Makarim aid the Education and Culture Ministry was monitoring the readiness of schools in several green zone areas ahead of their reopening.

The ministry, he went on, was ready to support, such as by relaxing the use of school operational assistance (BOS) for the implementation of health protocols. (tempo.co)

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan tempo.co

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan stated that he will take an ‘emergency brake policy’ and stop the transitional PSBB or large-scale social restriction if the capital city sees an uncontrollable number of COVID-19 positive cases. Anies detailed that is possible when the daily jump in virus infections has doubled.

The city’s novel coronavirus positivity rate during the transitional PSBB, which was taken effect beginning June 4 until Sunday, July 12, increased to 10.5 percent.

Anies underlined that if the condition worsens, the city administration will possibly enforce an ‘emergency brake policy’.

“If that happens, we all will need to stay at home again, economic activities will be stopped, religious activities will be stopped, and social activities will be closed. We all will be troubled if this situation goes on,” said Anies in a video published via Jakarta’s Youtube channel on Sunday afternoon, July 12.

The governor elaborated that the city’s Health Agency noted three records of the highest single-day surge in COVID-19 cases. The biggest daily jump is recorded on Sunday, July 12, with 404 new cases, followed by a report on July 11 at 359 new infections and on July 5 at 256 new infections.

He further demanded the public prioritize safety in daily activities during the pandemic, especially stay vigilant and strictly implement the predetermined health protocols in public transportation and traditional markets.

“I remind everyone of the simple things to do. First, wear a face mask anywhere, anytime in any activity. Secondly, maintain a safe distance of one meter. Then, wash hands with soap. Make sure to do these,” Anies Baswedan asserted. (tempo.co)