VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian Embassy to Australia in Canberra promoted contemporary batik through a workshop on 15 August 2022 to celebrate the 77th Anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia. The activity was attended by school teachers in Canberra and the wives of ambassadors from various countries who are currently serving in Canberra. This is a written statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra received by Antara in Jakarta on Monday.

According to the Education and Culture Attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, Mukhamad Najib, the aim of the workshop was to introduce one of Indonesia's world heritages, namely batik, to teachers and the world community in Canberra.

Knowledge of contemporary batik is taught in a batik workshop at the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra through activities to draw batik motifs with a contemporary thematic approach, not sticking to the well-known standard of batik motifs, such as parang, kawung, and sogan.

A batik instructor from Yogyakarta, Dias Prabu said that his batik motif is very suitable for the spirit of independence because contemporary batik art is free from old patterns.

According to Dias, the designs developed in contemporary batik can come from Indonesian folklore and legends. All stories are presented in a contemporary way but still do not lose their Indonesian identity. Especially for Australia, the batik pattern produced carries the theme of the relationship between Australia and Indonesia.

The participants of this contemporary batik workshop followed several stages of the manufacturing process, namely from sketching, printing, coloring, shedding, to drying. The process that took three hours to complete was enough to produce a complete batik work. After that, participants could bring their own creations home. Each participant who attended the workshop received a set of tools and materials to make batik drawings. The tools provided are cloth, wax, canting, and fittings for sag.

Teachers at Canberra schools said they enjoyed participating in the workshops. They expressed their great admiration for the art of batik and felt lucky to be able to try firsthand how to draw batik.

Some 10 Indonesian F&B companies participated in the Vietfood & Beverage 2022, in Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City from August 11 to 13 2022. This is one of the biggest international F&B annual exhibitions in Vietnam, which was held again after two years in vacuum due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indonesia is one of 18 countries, 8 pavilions, and 400 booths joining the 26th exhibition. Other countries opening pavilion in the event were India, Poland, South Korea, Singapore, Russia, Greece, and Vietnam. Other than 7 Indonesian companies, there were three others that have local distributors in Vietnam and became exhibition participants. The participation was supported by Indonesian Embassy Hanoi and Indonesian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.

The rapid economic growth and great F&B opportunity encouraged the companies to penetrate the Vietnamese market. The Indonesian Pavilion attracted the attention of the distributors and consumers to visit and check the products on display.

Various food and beverage products promoted in the Indonesian Pavilion were snack, bread, healthy drink, instant coffee, plastic packaging, and fusion food ingredients.

The Indonesian companies participating in the event used the event to do business meetings with distributor, retail, and supermarket chains. The Indonesian Pavilion was also used to promote the Trade Expo Indonesia 2022, Spice Up the World program, and Indonesian Presidency in G20 in 2022.

Total bilateral trade between Indonesia and Vietnam in 2021 surpassed US$ 11 billion, way beyond the target agreed by the two nations amounting to US$ 10 billion in 2023.

There is a special gift for the 77th Anniversary of the Indonesian Independence Day. The gift is an award from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for Indonesia's achievements in rice self-sufficiency and improvement of the national food security system. The Certificate of Acknowledgment from the IRRI was received by President Joko Widodo at the State Palace in Jakarta on Sunday (14/8). 

This award is the result of the hard work of the Indonesian people. President Joko Widodo after receiving the “Agricultural-Food System Award for 2019-2021 and Rice Self-Sufficiency through the Use of Rice Innovation Technology” expressed his appreciation for the real actors working in the fields, such as farmers, local governments, ministries, and university research institutions that have worked in achieving self-sufficiency in rice. According to President Joko Widodo, the achievement is the results of integrated work, joint work, and mutual cooperation. 

Over the last three years, Indonesia has not imported rice. Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency, Indonesia's rice stock until the end of April 2022 reached 10.2 million tons. This achievement certainly cannot be separated from what has been done by the government of Indonesia to achieve food security. Citing President Joko Widodo's explanation, since 2015 until now, 29 large dams have been inaugurated and this year, a total of 38 dams will be completed again. The government targets that by 2024, the construction of 61 dams plus 4,500 reservoirs, and 1.1 million irrigation networks that have been built for seven years. 

This achievement is expected to be a driving force for Indonesia to strengthen food security. Because there are still many challenges ahead. As stated by the Head of the National Food Agency, Arief Prasetyo Adi, the challenges of the food sector in 2023 are getting tougher. This is because global conditions are still filled with turmoil, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, the Covid-19 pandemic, and climate change whose impacts are increasingly being felt today. 

Optimism to achieve food security must be owned by all Indonesian people. The application of food technology to increase farmers' production and productivity must be strengthened. Strong community support for food diversification will also contribute greatly to the achievement of Indonesian food security. Thus, the commitment of the Government of Indonesia to increase national production and ensure food sufficiency in the country as well as to contribute to international food conditions can be realized sustainably.

There is a special gift for the 77th Anniversary of the Indonesian Independence Day. The gift is an award from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for Indonesia's achievements in rice self-sufficiency and improvement of the national food security system. The Certificate of Acknowledgment from the IRRI was received by President Joko Widodo at the State Palace in Jakarta on Sunday (14/8). 

This award is the result of the hard work of the Indonesian people. President Joko Widodo after receiving the “Agricultural-Food System Award for 2019-2021 and Rice Self-Sufficiency through the Use of Rice Innovation Technology” expressed his appreciation for the real actors working in the fields, such as farmers, local governments, ministries, and university research institutions that have worked in achieving self-sufficiency in rice. According to President Joko Widodo, the achievement is the results of integrated work, joint work, and mutual cooperation. 

Over the last three years, Indonesia has not imported rice. Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency, Indonesia's rice stock until the end of April 2022 reached 10.2 million tons. This achievement certainly cannot be separated from what has been done by the government of Indonesia to achieve food security. Citing President Joko Widodo's explanation, since 2015 until now, 29 large dams have been inaugurated and this year, a total of 38 dams will be completed again. The government targets that by 2024, the construction of 61 dams plus 4,500 reservoirs, and 1.1 million irrigation networks that have been built for seven years. 

This achievement is expected to be a driving force for Indonesia to strengthen food security. Because there are still many challenges ahead. As stated by the Head of the National Food Agency, Arief Prasetyo Adi, the challenges of the food sector in 2023 are getting tougher. This is because global conditions are still filled with turmoil, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, the Covid-19 pandemic, and climate change whose impacts are increasingly being felt today. 

Optimism to achieve food security must be owned by all Indonesian people. The application of food technology to increase farmers' production and productivity must be strengthened. Strong community support for food diversification will also contribute greatly to the achievement of Indonesian food security. Thus, the commitment of the Government of Indonesia to increase national production and ensure food sufficiency in the country as well as to contribute to international food conditions can be realized sustainably.