VIVAnews - The government will prepare up to 2 million acres of additional agricultural land. Instead of forest clearings, the land clearing will be done through inefficient land conversions into agricultural land.
Agriculture Minister Suswono said the National Land Agency (BPN) had measured the land. “BPN said there are 2 million unused land,” he said during an interactive dialogue session at the National Forum of National Development in Jakarta on Saturday, December 12.
Therefore, the government is intended to use the lands for agricultural areas. However, the time is still indefinite. Suswono only said the government would soon work on the lands for Indonesia’s food resistance.
According to Vice Agricultural Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi, the government would keep trying to gain additional amount in fertilizer subsidy budget. Additional numbers are required due to the policy of maintaining crops production.
Krisnamurthi also said the Indonesian population growth of 1.3 percent per year (three million people per year with an estimated 200 million residents) would always need 300 thousand tons of additional food supplies per year.
“That means we need 60 acres of additional lands per year which is the equivalent of Tangerang regency, “ he said. That is why the spread and volume of fertilizers, as the tools to increase productions, should be overseen.
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Translated by: Nataya Ermanti
