President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) called on regions in the vicinity of Nusantara Capital City (IKN) in East Kalimantan to take preparatory measures for supplying food to Indonesia's future seat of government.
"The ongoing construction of IKN might be completed in the next 10 or 15 years. Therefore, provinces, districts, and cities around the IKN must make preparations," he told the media after reviewing rice stocks in Paser District, East Kalimantan on Thursday.
In case the food stocks stored by East Kalimantan Province do not suffice, the president stated that the IKN should be able to rely on supplies from regions in other provinces.
The head of state, however, emphasized that he favors pushing East Kalimantan to ensure that it can independently meet the food needs of IKN.
"If possible, regions within East Kalimantan around Nusantara Capital City become the city's sole suppliers of staple food materials, including fruits, vegetables, and rice, to bring economic benefits to people," he stated.
Earlier, the East Kalimantan Office of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) highlighted the need to optimize the management of agricultural areas in North Penajam Paser District to build Nusantara's food resilience.
Speaking after a dialogue with President Jokowi at the Garuda Palace, IKN, on July 30, East Kalimantan Kadin chairperson Dayang Donna Faroek underlined that East Kalimantan has yet to achieve food self-sufficiency, as it still relies on food consigned from Java and Sulawesi islands.
She said the development of IKN, which is expected to shoot up East Kalimantan's population, had made it even more pressing for the province to strengthen its food resilience.
"Given that will get additional civil servants, soldiers, and police officers, it is important to think about how to meet their food needs," she stated.
