Prabowo: Food Security Is a National Movement, Not Just the Agriculture Ministry's Affair

President Prabowo Subianto, speaking at an integrated harvest event at the Indonesian Air Force Base (Lanud) Abdulrachman Saleh in Malang Regency, East Java, on Friday, stated that food security is not solely the concern of the Ministry of Agriculture. He explained that food security concerns the livelihood of all people and must therefore be realised through a national movement. “I congratulate the holding of this integrated TNI grand harvest, carried out simultaneously at 43 points across Indonesia. This activity shows that food security is not just the business of the Ministry of Agriculture, but is a national movement involving all the nation’s strengths,” said President Prabowo before state officials, military and police leaders, and farmer representatives. On the occasion, President Prabowo recalled a similar corn harvest event driven by the National Police (Polri) two months prior. Today, the three branches of the TNI—the Army with its assisted rice fields, the Navy with its assisted soybean fields, and the Air Force assisting sugarcane farmers—conducted a simultaneous grand harvest at 43 locations, including military bases and TNI-assisted lands. “This shows that the TNI and Polri are not only guardians of the nation’s defence and security, but are inseparable parts of the Indonesian people. The TNI and Polri are the true sons and daughters of the people. The TNI and Polri must always be with the people,” the President said. Therefore, President Prabowo asked the TNI and Polri not to be overly concerned about criticism from certain parties regarding their involvement in the government’s food security programmes. According to the President, food security is part of overcoming the people’s difficulties. Especially amidst an uncertain global geopolitical situation, building food security and self-sufficiency is crucial for the nation’s safety. “Don’t worry too much about procedures, about why soldiers are in the fields, why police are planting corn. This is Indonesia. The TNI and Polri belong to the people, we must overcome the people’s difficulties. The TNI and Polri must overcome the people’s difficulties,” said President Prabowo to the ranks of TNI and Polri leadership.