Gorontalo, Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has encouraged farmers in paddy-producing provinces across the country to increase the paddy production.
"It is part of an effort to improve the people`s welfare through the increase of crop production, especially rice," President Yudhoyono said in a function to promote a national movement to increase national hybrid paddy production to 2 million tons this year at Pulubala village, Kota Tengah district, Gorontalo Province, northern Sulawesi, on Monday.
On the occasion the president was accompanied by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Ma`ruf, Agriculture Minister Anto Apriantono, and Gorontalo Governor Fadel Muhammad.
Yudhoyono noted that government`s effort to improve crop production was conducted through concrete actions.
"Therefore, government`s responsibility to step up the people`s food resilience through concrete actions is neither a mere discourse nor an empty rhetoric," Yudhoyono noted.
He added that besides food, water and energy were also in the government priority to manage them properly to meet the people`s demand, as the country?s population continued to increase.
The president noted that harvest improvement for the farmers was the only way to have self-supporting in rice and to avoid its import.
"In order not to be haunted with rice import, we are committed to taking concrete actions in our effort to step up rice production to 2 million tons this year," Yudhoyono said.
Thus, he expressed hope that paddy-producing provinces such as East Java, Central Java, West Java, South Sumatra and Gorontalo should also be responsible in supporting the government?s efforts to produce 2 million tons of rice this year.
"If we remain cohesive and united, God`s will, we will be able to reach the target," the president said.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Anto Apriantono said the government was committed to realizing food self-sufficiency, especially rice, corn, soy bean and beef.
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