Megawati tees off on loss of rice fields<\/p>\n
BOGOR (JP): Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri expressed
\nconcern over the decreasing number of rice fields in much of the
\nfarming land in the country, such as in the areas between
\nKerawang and Bekasi in West Java, as many of them have been
\nconverted into golf courses.<\/p>\n
\"Even the colonists never touched those areas that are the
\nmain source of rice for the country. We are even worse than they
\nwere because we turn productive land to golf courses,\" Megawati
\nsaid on Friday.<\/p>\n
The Vice President was addressing the declaration of 2001 Food
\nResilience Movement at the Bogor Palace.<\/p>\n
Megawati said that she had asked the National Land Agency
\n(BPN) to collect data on rice fields across the country and
\ncomplete the necessary mapping with local authorities as soon as
\npossible.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes, I become so upset because every time I ask the
\nextent of our rice fields, how many have been lost, the officials
\nalways give the answer that they do not have the number,\"
\nMegawati remarked.<\/p>\n
She further underlined that for the past four decades, the
\ncountry had reduced the meaning of food resilience to only rice
\nfulfillment, despite the fact that many Indonesians cannot afford
\nto eat rice as their staple diet.<\/p>\n
\"The increase in rice consumption has created difficulties in
\nrice provision,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bungaran Saragih,
\nMinister of Transportation and Telecommunications Agum Gumelar,
\nJunior Minister for Forestry Marzuki Usman and Indonesian Farmers
\nAssociation Chairman Siswono Yudhohusodo also attended the venue.
\n(21\/dja)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-tees-off-on-loss-of-rice-fields-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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