Prabowo Highlights the Plight of Indonesian Farmers

President Prabowo Subianto has revealed the reasons that kept him in politics despite suffering four electoral defeats. According to him, his determination stemmed from a conviction that the direction of Indonesia’s economic development at the time was not in favour of ordinary people, particularly farmers and fishermen. This was conveyed during his speech at the peak of the 16th National Farmers and Fishermen Week (PENAS) in Gorontalo on Wednesday. In front of thousands of farmers and fishermen, Prabowo stated that the food sector is the primary foundation of a nation’s life. Therefore, the welfare of food producers must be the state’s main concern. “Farmers and fishermen are the producers of food. No country can stand, no country can survive, and no civilisation can endure without food,” he said. He then reminisced about his political journey after retiring from the military. He admitted he decided to enter politics because he saw economic policies that he believed were on the wrong track. Prabowo noted that at the time, neoliberal ideology served as the reference for economic policy-making. In his view, this approach tended to leave weak groups to fend for themselves without state support, while attention was largely given to those already strong. This experience left a deeper impression when he served as Chairman of the Indonesian Farmers Association (HKTI). When the government planned to import rice just before the harvest season, Prabowo said he tried to prevent the policy because it would harm domestic farmers. He argued that importing rice during the harvest would depress grain prices and make it difficult for farmers to turn a profit. On that occasion, Prabowo also expressed his shock upon hearing views that Indonesia did not need to protect its local farmers if other countries could produce rice more efficiently. “I was shocked. I was shocked and saddened. In my heart, I said this is a huge mistake. This shows a lack of understanding of what a nation means, what statehood means, and why we wanted independence,” he said. According to Prabowo, Indonesia’s independence was not merely aimed at forming a state, but also at bringing prosperity to all its people. Therefore, the state must ensure that farmers, fishermen, labourers, and the wider community obtain a decent life, including access to education, housing, and affordable healthcare. He stressed that his decades-long struggle in politics was driven by a desire to strengthen the people from the grassroots level. “That is why I am determined, why I fight, and why I remain in politics. Because I saw that there had been no major effort from Indonesia’s elite to strengthen the people from the bottom up,” he said. The President also expressed his belief that support from the farming community was one of the key factors that led him to victory in the 2024 Presidential Election. He conveyed his appreciation to the extended family of HKTI and the Andalan Farmers and Fishermen Contact (KTNA) who have been part of his struggle.