"It is estimated that if there is no solution, 800 million people will suffer from food shortages and starvation."
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) asked for land that is not planted to be immediately planted with various types of food. Jokowi wants the idle land to be productive to anticipate the food crisis that is currently engulfing a number of countries.
"More than 300 million people are currently experiencing acute food shortages and hunger. It is estimated that if there is no solution, 800 million people will suffer from food shortages and hunger. This is why we want unproductive land to be productive," Jokowi said after planting early coconuts and intercrops in Boyolali Regency, Central Java, Thursday (11/9/2022).
This condition is experienced by several countries and the number of people experiencing hunger will increase, if a solution is not found.
Jokowi invites people in the village to grow their own chilies in polybags or in their yards. This, said Jokowi, would prevent a shortage and increase in chili prices.
"The chili issue, households in the village should be able to plant it in polybags, in their yards. So, there is no such thing as a shortage of chili or chili prices going up drastically," he said.
Jokowi said that the Ministry of Agriculture is currently cultivating unproductive land with plants.
Jokowi gave an example of early maturing coconut which is able to produce 180 fruits in a year, it can produce palm sugar or oil. (setpres, antara)
