HKTI: Young Generation Key to National Food Security
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Farmers’ Harmony Association (HKTI) states that the younger generation is the key to maintaining national food security in the future.
“Indonesian youth must be close to and love agriculture. They will collaborate in building the nation’s food security,” said the Acting Chairman of the National Leadership Council (DPN) of HKTI, who is also the General Secretary of the National Scout Council, Retired Major General TNI Bachtiar Utomo, after the first soybean harvest in Jakarta on Saturday.
According to him, food issues are not just a matter for the state but everyone must be involved in ensuring national food availability.
“Do not let a lost generation in farming occur in Indonesia. Let us all bring our young people closer to agriculture,” he said.
He added that a strong nation is one that is sovereign in food. A sovereign nation is one that can meet its own food needs and no longer depends on foreigners to fulfil their food requirements.
“Do not keep young people away from agriculture, but make them love farming and want to get involved as farmers,” he said.
He mentioned that one effort by the National Scout Council is to hold the Global Integrated Farming programme, which will be conducted at this year’s Jamboree.
In the Jamboree, there are 30,000 students from across Indonesia gathered at the Scout Education Centre (Buperta) in Cibubur, East Jakarta.
They will be given agricultural materials and build a love for farming that they will take back to their respective communities.
The participants will be invited to plant trees, farm, and raise livestock to get involved in building the nation’s food security.
According to him, in the Buperta area, they are taught to plant corn, bananas, vegetables, and fruits. They are also taught to raise chickens, goats, cattle, and catfish and tilapia.
He said that Buperta is a Centre for Education and Training (Pusdiklat) in the fields of agriculture and food security. Here, there are agricultural lands, livestock farms, beekeeping development, and more.
“This is an effort we will make so that the younger generation loves agriculture and gets involved in building national food security,” he said.
His side also involves all camping grounds in Indonesia for farming.
“There are a total of 25 million Scout members, and if they each plant four trees, then in one year there will be 100 million trees growing,” he said.
He stated that this programme is in line with President Prabowo’s instruction to build food self-sufficiency in Indonesia.
“The Scouts and HKTI, along with several parties, will continue to push for acceleration and contribute to building Indonesia’s food security,” he said.