Sumedang – Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto recalled the beginning of his concern for agriculture since he was active in the Indonesian National Army (TNI).
He revealed this when attending 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).
In the opening of his speech, he reminded the soldiers present that farmers played an important role during the Indonesian independence war. Because, indirectly, farmers supported the war effort by providing harvests to keep the soldiers strong.
“The TNI and all the soldiers here, we must remember that without farmers there would be no army, without food we cannot fight. We defend this country because we are supported by farmers everywhere. When Indonesia was waging the war for independence, there was no budget, no national budget, nothing yet, no currency,” he said.
“(When) we gained independence, matters related to the transfer of power were regulated later, but we gained independence first. Who fed our soldiers? Who fed our fighters? It was the farmers throughout Indonesia,” said Prabowo.
In line with that, when serving as the Commander of the Strategic Reserve Command (Pangkostrad), Prabowo ordered all his battalions to cultivate their agricultural needs independently by utilizing existing vacant land.
“There should be no idle land, there should be no unplanted land because food is a strategic matter, not a commodity,” Prabowo explained.
Even when he retired, Prabowo chose to continue to care for agriculture by leading the Indonesian Farmers Harmony Association (HKTI), mentoring the Leading Farmers and Fishermen Contact Group (KTNA), and serving as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Village Unit Cooperative (INKUD) until now.
“I retired from the army, I led the HKTI, and until now I am still the Chairman of KTNA, I am still in the Village Unit Cooperative, that is why I pay very close attention to agricultural issues,” he added.
“All issues related to food production are very strategic matters for the Indonesian nation,” he concluded. (SENOPATI)
