Sumedang – The Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto recalled the beginning of his concern for agriculture since he was active in the Indonesian National Army (TNI).
This was revealed when he attended the ‘Guidance for Agricultural Extension Workers and Farmers and Participatory Food Estate of West Java Province to Support the Increase in National Rice and Corn Production’ in Sumedang, Tuesday (30/1).
At the beginning of his speech, he reminded the attending soldiers that farmers played a crucial role during the Indonesian independence war. Because indirectly, farmers supported the war effort by providing harvests to keep the soldiers strong.
“TNI and all the soldiers here, we have to remember that without farmers there is no army, without food we cannot fight. We defend this country and nation because we are supported by farmers everywhere. When Indonesia fought for independence, there was no budget, no state budget, nothing, no currency,” he said.
“When we became independent, matters related to the transfer of power were arranged later, but we became independent first. Who fed our soldiers? Who fed our fighters? It was the farmers throughout Indonesia,” said Prabowo.
In line with that, when he served as the Commander of the Strategic Reserve Command (Pangkostrad), Prabowo ordered all of his battalions to cultivate their agricultural needs independently by utilizing available idle land.
“There should be no idle land, there should be no land left uncultivated because food is a strategic matter, not a commodity,” said Prabowo.
Even as a retiree, Prabowo chose to continue to be concerned with agriculture by leading the Indonesian Farmers’ Unity Association (HKTI), nurturing the Leading Farmer and Fisherman Contact Group (KTNA), and serving as the Chairman of the Village Cooperative Main Unit (INKUD) until now.
“I retired from the army, I led HKTI, and until now I am still the Chairman of KTNA, I am still in the Village Cooperative Main Unit, that is why I pay very, very close attention to agricultural matters,” he added.
“All issues related to food production are very strategic matters for the Indonesian nation,” he concluded. (SENOPATI)
