Strengthening Food Security, East Jakarta Plants Corn and Vegetables at 162 Locations

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The East Jakarta City Government (Pemkot Jaktim), together with the PKK Movement Team, continues to strengthen food security through a simultaneous planting movement for corn and vegetables held at 162 locations across the region, covering an area of 4.7 hectares.

“This morning’s activity is a joint planting carried out at 162 points with a total area of approximately 4.7 hectares in East Jakarta, planting Bonanza MB F1 corn provided by Cap Panah Merah and the East Jakarta Food Security, Maritime, and Agriculture Office (KPKP),” said the Chair of the East Jakarta PKK Movement Team, Essie Feransie Munjirin, at the Baliku Lestari Farmer Group (Poktan), Ujung Menteng Ward, Cakung, East Jakarta, on Friday.

According to her, the activity is not merely a ceremonial planting but part of ongoing efforts to strengthen family food security in urban areas through the urban farming programme.

“This simultaneous planting movement covers an area of approximately 4.7 hectares with main commodities including Bonanza MB F1 corn, rice, and various vegetables,” she stated.

Essie hopes that this planting movement can continue until the joint harvest planned for August.

The harvest results from the farmer groups and urban farming enthusiasts will later be facilitated for marketing through the Tumbuh Market prepared by the East Jakarta City Government together with PKK.

In addition, extreme weather challenges and the potential for a dry season due to El Niño are serious concerns in implementing the programme. Therefore, farming enthusiasts are urged to carry out more intensive plant maintenance to ensure optimal harvest yields.

“Hopefully, the harvest results will be good enough because we will face the El Niño season or dry season and unpredictable rainy weather, so I suggest making more intensive maintenance preparations,” said Essie.

Meanwhile, the Chair of Working Group III of the DKI Jakarta Provincial TP PKK, Diah Iswari, explained that the planting movement is part of the priority programme of the DKI Jakarta Provincial PKK through the Plant a Million Trees Movement.

According to Diah, the planting of MB Manis Besar F1 corn, supported by the Food Security, Maritime, and Agriculture Office (KPKP) and Cap Panah Merah, is expected to become a positive habit for the community in utilising available land for urban farming.

“Yes, this planting movement is also a provincial programme. So, the priority programme of the DKI Jakarta Provincial PKK is the Plant a Million Trees Movement,” said Diah.

She assessed that strengthening food security is closely linked to family resilience. Furthermore, the sustainability of the planting movement is considered important to maintain food availability amid uncertain weather conditions.

She hopes that all parties, from Regional Device Organisations (OPD), technical implementation units (SKPD), provincial government to farmer groups and the community, can continue to synergise so that the planting movement programme runs sustainably and provides maximum benefits for East Jakarta residents.