Ministry of Agriculture Drives Accelerated Planting in Konawe to Strengthen Food Production and National Self-Sufficiency
The Ministry of Agriculture, through the Agency for Agricultural Extension and Human Resources Development (BPPSDMP), held a Simultaneous Planting Movement in Kumapo Village, Abuki District, Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, on Friday (31/7). This activity is part of the government’s efforts to increase the planting index, expand cultivation areas, and strengthen national food production towards sustainable food self-sufficiency.
The Simultaneous Planting Movement is being implemented concurrently across 25 provinces at locations designated for the 2024–2025 Land Optimisation (Oplah) programme and the 2025 People’s Rice Field Creation (CSR) programme. Konawe was selected as a central hub for the activity, involving central and local governments, agricultural extension officers, the Food Brigade, the TNI-Polri, and farmer groups.
Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman emphasised that accelerating planting is a strategic step to maintain the sustainability of national food production and to ensure that various government programmes, such as Land Optimisation and People’s Rice Field Creation, deliver tangible results for the community. He noted that optimal land utilisation will increase agricultural production and guarantee national food availability amidst various challenges, including the impacts of climate change.
The Head of BPPSDMP, Idha Widi Arsanti, stated that the movement is a national effort aimed at increasing the planting index through cross-sector collaboration. She stressed that agricultural extension officers and farmers are the spearhead in ensuring that prepared land is planted immediately to achieve optimal production.
Arsanti also noted that the food self-sufficiency announced by President Prabowo Subianto is the result of collective work across the agricultural sector. She highlighted that progress is reflected in the increase of Government Rice Reserves (CBP) managed by Perum Bulog, which reached approximately 5.2 million tonnes by mid-July 2026, while domestic rice absorption reached about 3.4 million rice-equivalent tonnes.
Furthermore, Arsanti emphasised the importance of strategies to face potential El Niño impacts, including accelerated planting, pumping programmes, land optimisation, and the utilisation of swampland to remain productive. Meanwhile, the Acting Director General of Food Crops, Tin Latifah, asserted that the success of food production depends on the consistency of planting activities across all regions, stating that harvests cannot be expected without continuous planting efforts.