Minister Nusron Affirms Protection of Agricultural Land is a Priority

Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister and Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN), Nusron Wahid, has stated that the government is prioritising the protection of agricultural land to support food self-sufficiency. “We have been ordered to safeguard and protect rice fields and agricultural land, namely through the Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B) decree,” Nusron Wahid said in a statement in Jakarta on Thursday. According to him, the protection of paddy fields aligns with the mandate from President Prabowo Subianto to support food self-sufficiency amidst the high demand for land for various national strategic programmes. “For the President, the issue of food security and food self-sufficiency is a ‘necessary condition’, an imperative and a need in this uncertain global situation,” he stated while chairing a Coordination Meeting on the Designation of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B) for South Sulawesi Province. Nusron said that in line with this policy, the government has set an LP2B protection target of 87 percent of the total Protected Paddy Fields (LSD) in each region. The Provincial Government of South Sulawesi has already exceeded this target by designating LP2B up to 88.05 percent. Nevertheless, Nusron reminded that land outside the LP2B area cannot simply be converted. “It can be used, but not freely. One must still apply for a permit to use non-LP2B land for other purposes. The function is to prevent reckless land conversion,” he said. Minister Nusron also requested that district and city governments immediately integrate the LP2B designation into their Regional Spatial Plans (RTRW) and accelerate the preparation of Detailed Spatial Plans (RDTR). If they require support or face budget constraints, district and city governments can coordinate further with the Directorate General of Spatial Planning. Minister Nusron revealed that the Ministry of ATR/BPN has obtained additional budget from the central government to assist in the preparation of RTRW in 104 districts and cities and 400 RDTR nationally. Therefore, regions that have not yet prepared their RTRW or RDTR are urged to submit proposals immediately so that the RDTR coverage target in South Sulawesi can reach 100 percent by 2028. On this occasion, all regents and mayors across South Sulawesi signed the Official Report on the Designation of LP2B as a commitment to maintaining food security. The signing was witnessed by the Minister of ATR/Head of BPN, South Sulawesi Regional Secretary Jufri Rahman, Director General of Spatial Planning Suyus Windayana, and Head of the BPN Regional Office for South Sulawesi Province, Wartomo.