Prabowo Reveals Why He Always Stands with Farmers and Fishermen

President Prabowo Subianto has revealed the reason he consistently stands alongside farmers and fishermen. He shared the story during his speech at the peak event of the 17th National Farmers and Fishermen Week 2026 in Gorontalo on Wednesday (24/6/2026). “Why is Prabowo Subianto always with farmers and fishermen?” he began. According to Prabowo, the reason is very simple: he is a former soldier. Since Indonesia’s birth, the head of state said, the military has always been supported and assisted by farmers and fishermen. “When we declared, when we proclaimed our independence, there was no state yet, no budget, no state budget, no salary. Those who chose the Republic of Indonesia chose it from the heart, out of love for the Indonesian nation, not for a salary,” Prabowo said. “But the soldiers at that time were sustained, supported, and given food by our farmers and fishermen throughout Indonesia. The TNI, all Indonesian forces, the fighters, including the police, were supported by the people, supported by farmers and fishermen,” he continued. Furthermore, the Chairman of the Gerindra Party cited data presented by Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman that there are 160 million farmers plus their families in Indonesia, in addition to 14 million fishermen plus their families. Prabowo revealed that during his service as a young soldier in the field, he felt greatly assisted by farmers, even though their lives were not easy. “To cook, they had to walk kilometres to find firewood. To fetch water, they had to walk kilometres. Yet they still cooked for TNI soldiers. That shows how great their love is for the country and the Indonesian nation,” Prabowo said. “Therefore, brothers and sisters, I think every soldier, every general, must always remember and must always hold in their hearts the vital role of Indonesian farmers and fishermen,” the former Minister of Defence continued. Prabowo also stressed that farmers and fishermen are the producers of food. No country or even civilisation can stand and survive without food.