Agricultural sector must be revitalized soon: Wiranto

TEGAL, Central Java (JP): Given the economic crisis, the agricultural sector must be revitalized as soon as possible to meet the nation's food needs, Minister of Defense/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto said here yesterday.

Speaking to journalists after launching the National Agricultural Cooperation Program, Wiranto described how the Armed Forces was taking up the challenge of helping to establish food sufficiency by converting idle land into productive land.

He stressed that the need for food could not be delayed.

"This is a concern of ABRI, working together with the people to help ease the country's plight in the crisis," he said.

Wiranto was accompanied yesterday by Minister of Manpower Theo L. Sambuaga, Minister of Agriculture Justika Sjarifudin Baharsjah, State Minister of Food, Drugs and Horticulture Haryanto Dhanutirto, Army Chief Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, and Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Wahab Mokodongan.

The cooperation scheme, dubbed by Wiranto as "a cross sectoral and cross ministerial program", is supported by ABRI and 14 related ministries and government offices.

Its initial target is cultivating 100,000 hectares of idle land. The longer-term plan is to work on 3 million hectares of across the country, according to Wiranto.

"This is a step taken by ABRI to anticipate a possible food crisis, preparing for the worst possible scenario. But, we haven't seen that there's been that crisis yet," he said.

Late last year and early this year, some drought-hit regions in the country witnessed food riots.

Given the situation and the country's depleting foreign reserves, the agricultural sector must never be neglected, Wiranto said.

"We can't imagine what could happen if the foreign reserves really run out," Wiranto said, referring to the state's net international reserves which at present stand at US$13.571 billion.

Without elaborating, he said it now was time for the whole nation to work together and that "talking, shouting, and demanding" would not help solve problems.

According to Wiranto, the program has four targets -- to meet food needs and reduce imports; to further foster ABRI's unity with the people; to entice farmers who have been absorbed by other sectors to return to the land and to provide employment for millions of people who have lost their jobs during the crisis.

Justika said the idle land would planted with rice, corn, and soybeans. (45/aan)