Prabowo optimistic NTT can become food source for nation and world

President Prabowo Subianto is optimistic that the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) region can become a food source for the nation and the world by developing the various potentials the area possesses.

“I am optimistic that this region can later become a food source for the nation and the world,” said Prabowo while leading a coordination meeting on handling the impact of the NTT earthquake at the 834/Wakanga Mere Territorial Development Battalion headquarters, Tonggurambang Village, Mbay, Nagekeo Regency, NTT, on Wednesday.

Prabowo said NTT has great potential in the food, fisheries and seaweed sectors, as well as land that can be developed to be more productive.

According to him, this potential needs to be developed with the courage to think big and set high targets.

“We must be determined. So, we dare to think, and that thinking must be big thinking. Dare to think big. Dare to have high targets,” he said.

Prabowo said the fisheries sector is highly potential to be developed in NTT. He also encouraged the community to develop seaweed as part of utilising marine potential to support food security and the regional economy.

“Fisheries are very potential in this area. From the plane, the sea is deep blue. Not yet polluted. So later you can develop fisheries and seaweed here,” he said.

In addition to marine potential, Prabowo encouraged the utilisation of unproductive land to make it productive to support food security.

Prabowo has supported the plan to open 8,000 hectares of agricultural land and 100 hectares of aquaculture in Nagekeo Regency.

“Your people are suffering, they are hungry. How can you make them not hungry? So, later we will turn unproductive land into productive land,” he said.

Prabowo also said that developing agricultural and economic potential in NTT needs to be supported by water availability. The President encouraged the application of desalination technology to meet clean water needs, especially in island and coastal areas.

“Desalination 30 years ago was unaffordable, only rich nations could do it. Now we can make desalination at the village level,” he said.

In addition to water, Prabowo believes that developing regional potential needs to be supported by energy availability. The President encouraged the use of solar power to supply energy for productive economic projects.

“Later our energy will be solar power technology. Here, if necessary, perhaps the unproductive mountains we can turn into solar power plants. How many gigawatts of solar power plants here for energy sources, for productive economic projects,” he said.