Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka inspected the use of rice planting machines in paddy fields in a village in Langkat, North Sumatra, on Tuesday.
During his visit, he symbolically handed over assistance, such as a combine harvester, four-wheeled tractors, water pumps, and rice and corn seeds, to the farmers there, according to a statement from his office.
Gibran assessed that using rice planting machines proved effective in accelerating the planting process and increasing the farmers' work efficiency.
He expressed hope that the machines could contribute to increasing the commodity's production and strengthen national food security.
Gibran also held a dialogue with local farmers, emphasizing the government's commitment to making Indonesia an independent nation in terms of food security.
He explained that the commitment is reflected in focused cabinet meetings discussing irrigation, fertilizers, seeds, agricultural tools, and machinery.
"The orders and directives from President Prabowo are clear: we must be self-sufficient in food," Gibran remarked.
He added that President Prabowo Subianto always emphasized irrigation, fertilizers, seeds, and mechanization during cabinet meetings.
To help realize the president's directives, Gibran called on relevant stakeholders, both at the central and regional levels, to strengthen collaboration to solve the problems faced by farmers.
"Once again, this requires good cooperation of all stakeholders, especially farmer groups," he affirmed.
On the same occasion, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman highlighted Langkat District's vast agricultural potential, with its 20,009 hectares of paddy fields and 550,282 hectares of non-paddy land.
"The government continues to optimize available land to increase food production," he stated.
