Prabowo commits to expanding productive shrimp ponds across regions

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President RI Prabowo Subianto has reiterated the government’s commitment to expanding the development of productive aquaculture pond projects across Indonesia, after directly inspecting the operations of the Kawasan-Based Shrimp Farming (BUBK) Kebumen on Saturday. ‘We are building 2,000 hectares in Waingapu; here 65 hectares; in Waingapu 2,000 hectares, and we are also building in Gorontalo 200 hectares and we are building in West Java on Pantura 14 hectares,’ said President Prabowo regarding the expansion of shrimp pond projects, quoted from the Secretary of State’s YouTube broadcast in Jakarta on Saturday. Unlike the shrimp ponds in Kebumen, the President explained that the Pantura project in West Java will focus on fish farming. This diversification effort is undertaken so that each region can make a maximum contribution to providing protein for domestic needs as well as international markets. The President revealed that he has given firm instructions to his cabinet to prioritise projects that provide direct economic benefits to the people. ‘I have given instructions to the cabinet: what we may support, what we must support, and what we must implement are productive projects,’ the President said. According to Prabowo, the definition of productive in national development currently has a clear boundary. Projects deemed productive must be able to create jobs for the people, generate added value, increase the wealth of the Indonesian nation, and improve the incomes of the wider population. The President also stated that Kebumen’s BUBK, which can produce 40 tonnes per hectare with a selling value of Rp70 million per tonne, serves as a real example of productivity. On this basis, the government is now accelerating the construction of similar projects in several regions to maximise the potential of the nation’s natural resources. ‘So, sorry, for now we will somewhat delay building many offices. Offices are necessary, but there must be activity. A grand office without outputs is not good; better the office is not so fancy but the products are good and yield many results and incomes for the people; our people need jobs,’ the President asserted. The Kawasan-Based Shrimp Farming (BUBK) Kebumen, located in Desa Tegal Retno, Kecamatan Petanahan, is a national strategic project built during the 2022-2023 period. The 100-hectare area has now operating 65 hectares of land equipped with a seawater intake system, 139 production ponds, and integrated wastewater treatment facilities (IPAL). By the eighth operational cycle, Kebumen’s BUBK recorded total production of 1,151,497 kg with an economic value of Rp83.3 billion in the form of PNBP. The area has become a driver of the regional economy, employing 145 permanent workers and 500 daily casual workers, while also serving as a model for the modernization of national shrimp farming.