By: Satria Putra
President Prabowo Subianto continues to demonstrate his commitment to achieving food and water self-sufficiency through the development of strategic infrastructure. One concrete step is the inauguration of six dams scheduled for early 2025. This initiative aims to ensure water availability for the agricultural sector, thus increasing national food productivity.
The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), under the leadership of Minister Dody Hanggodo, plays an active role in supporting this vision. Water resource infrastructure is seen as a crucial element in achieving food self-sufficiency targets. The construction of dams is part of the government’s broader strategy to ensure a stable water supply for agricultural lands.
The six dams to be inaugurated are located across five provinces, including Rukoh and Keureuto Dams in Aceh, Jlantah Dam in Central Java, Sidan Dam in Bali, Marangkayu Dam in East Kalimantan, and Meninting Dam in West Nusa Tenggara. Each dam plays a vital role, such as irrigation, providing raw water, reducing flood risks, and generating hydropower.
The Rukoh Dam in Pidie Regency, Aceh, can irrigate 11,950 hectares of agricultural land and reduce flood risks by almost 90%. Meanwhile, the Keureuto Dam, located in North Aceh Regency, has a storage capacity of 216 million cubic meters and is designed to supply water to 9,455 hectares of land and generate 6.34 MW of electricity.
Additionally, the Jlantah Dam in Central Java will help irrigate 1,494 hectares of land, while the Sidan Dam in Bali focuses on providing raw water with a capacity of 1.75 cubic meters per second. The Marangkayu Dam in East Kalimantan will also supply irrigation water for 1,500 hectares, while the Meninting Dam in NTB contributes to water supply for agriculture and micro-hydropower generation.
In addition to dam construction, the government is also reforming the distribution of subsidized fertilizers to ensure easier access for farmers. Land optimization programs, including in swamp areas, are being accelerated to improve planting indexes. The simplified distribution mechanisms allow farmers to obtain fertilizers more quickly and efficiently.
The Minister of Agriculture, through a statement from Expert Staff Suwandi, emphasized that Indonesia has experience in achieving food self-sufficiency, as seen in 1984 and several other periods. Therefore, with targeted programs and cross-sector synergy, the goal of achieving rice self-sufficiency by 2025 is believed to be attainable.
President Prabowo also encourages food diversification as an additional strategy for national food security. The government is collaborating with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to expand corn planting areas and improve rice productivity on dry land. This effort aims to reduce dependence on imports while strengthening the local farmers’ economy.
Minister of Trade Budi Santoso highlighted the economic benefits of achieving food self-sufficiency. According to him, Indonesia could save up to 5.2 billion US dollars if it can meet its rice, sugar, salt, and corn needs independently. Additionally, the surplus production of certain commodities, such as palm oil, has proven that self-sufficiency is not just a goal, but something achievable.
The government is also developing better storage systems through the optimization of the Warehouse Receipt System (SRG). With a comprehensive strategy, optimism to achieve food and water self-sufficiency is growing stronger. The concrete steps that have been taken serve as clear evidence that President Prabowo’s promise is not merely rhetoric, but a commitment realized through policies and tangible actions.
Along with these efforts, the government is also ensuring food price stability by strengthening the distribution system for harvested products. Logistics infrastructure is being improved to minimize production losses during the distribution process. Moreover, support for agricultural research and technological innovation is being enhanced to improve sector efficiency.
The government is also promoting the use of digital technology in the agricultural sector to increase productivity and distribution efficiency. Digital applications that allow farmers to sell their harvests directly to consumers without intermediaries are one innovation that continues to be developed. This allows farmers to obtain better selling prices while consumers receive quality products at more competitive prices.
In the long term, the success of food and water self-sufficiency will not only contribute to national food security but also to overall economic resilience. With the increasing number of supporting infrastructures being built, Indonesia has the potential to become a self-sufficient nation in providing food and water for its people. The sustainability of this program is a key factor in ensuring long-term farmer welfare and food security for the entire population.
As part of the long-term strategy, the government is also strengthening programs for rehabilitating critical lands and improving irrigation networks to support the sustainability of national food production. Furthermore, efforts to enhance farmers’ capacity through training and technical assistance continue to improve the quality and quantity of production.
With all the efforts that have been carried out, the goal of food and water self-sufficiency is increasingly within reach. The government, under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto, is committed to continuing to oversee this policy to ensure strong and sustainable food security for Indonesia in the future.
)* The author is a contributor to the Pertiwi Institute
