Vice Presidential Debate: Cak Imin Promises to Halt Food Estate Program if Elected
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22 January 2024 09:21 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice presidential candidate number 1 Muhaimin Iskandar, or known as Cak Imin said that he would stop the food estate program if elected as the next vice president. The Jokowi-era program, he believed, has failed to realize food sovereignty. Cak Imin claimed the food estate program is proof that the government is neglectful of farmers.
"The founders of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) said farmers are the savior of the state, but we now see that the state and its government are neglectful toward our farmers and fishermen," he said during the fourth presidential debate series held on Sunday evening, Jan. 21, 2024.
Referring to Statistics Indonesia's data, there are currently around 3 million small farmers in Indonesia. He then highlighted the ironic condition of local farmers in Indonesia.
"Meaning, 16 million farmers households only have less than half a hectares," he said.
The Coalition of Change-backed candidate said that the food estate program must be stopped.
"Foos estate is proven to abandon indigrnout people, creating agrarian conflie and even damage our environment," he said.
Food estate was initiated during President Joko Widodo's second term under the supervision of former Minister af Agriculture Syahrin Yasin Limpo and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto. This program is categorized as a strategic priority project based on Presidential Regulation No. 108 of 2022.
The vice presidential debate focused on sustainable development issues, natural resources, environment, energy, food, agrarian issues, indigenous people, and village issues. The participants were the three vice presidential candidates; Muhaimin Iskandar, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, and Mahfud Md.
ADINDA JASMINE PRASETYO
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