Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said he believes the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) would be able to provide assistance to two million independent farmers, or double the number of current beneficiaries, by 2023.
"I am waiting for the commitment to assist 2 million independent farmers in 2023. I am sure that Kadin is capable of (meeting) this target," the President said while making an online presentation at the Jakarta Food Security Summit 5 on Wednesday.
Jokowi had earlier asked Kadin to provide assistance to 1 million independent farmers to increase their productivity and welfare.
Kadin had managed to provide the requested assistance in early 2020. For this reason, the President said, he has increased the target to 2 million farmers for the next two years.
The President said he hopes farmers would use the assistance to collaborate productively with parties such as cooperatives, banks, and also buyers.
The business collaboration would increase production and the welfare of the farmers, he pointed out.
"I hope this inclusive business model can boost the food sector and open more jobs," he said.
Jokowi also endorsed the proposal for an inclusive closed loop scheme, or supply chain of integrated agriculture, for maintaining food security and welfare of farmers, breeders, and fishermen in the country.
The scheme in the business ecosystem will benefit actors from the upstream to downstream sectors, so the sustainability of production would be maintained, thereby helping farmers prosper, the President remarked.
"The initiative regarding the inclusive closed loop needs to be developed, especially to develop mutually beneficial partnerships from upstream to downstream," Jokowi said.
The Head of State also emphasized that the development of the food sector in the future will require innovation.
These new methods would increase the efficiency of the production process and help produce quality food commodities at affordable prices as well as improve the carrying capacity of the environment and make farmers prosperous, he added. (INE)
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