"I have great respect for farmers, breeders, fishermen, farm workers. You are true patriots. You are the unsung heroes. You are the ones who produce the food for the people of Indonesia," Prabowo said on Tuesday, speaking in his official capacity at an agriculture event in Sumedang, West Java, as quoted by Antara News.
The defense minister, who helms the government's food estate program, also said the nation's farmers were on a noble mission to secure it against food shortages. He also expressed his optimism that the country could eradicate poverty with the help of local farmers in maintaining food reserves.
Prabowo then explained the close relationship between agriculture and national defense.
"The Indonesian Military and all soldiers who are present [here], we must remember that without farmers, there will be no army because without food, we cannot fight. We [can] defend this nation and state because the farmers support us," said Prabowo, who is contesting the presidential election on Feb. 14.
Prabowo also shared an experience from his time as the head of the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), when he ordered his troops to cultivate unused land to meet the country's food demand.
After his military career ended in 1998 following the financial and political crisis that led to the downfall of his former father-in-law, then-president Soeharto, Prabowo said he remained committed to agriculture by leading the Indonesian Farmers Association (HKTI), developing the National Outstanding Farmers and Fishermen Association (KTNA) and chairing the advisory board of the Primary Rural Cooperative (Inkud) until now.
Prabowo also praised Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman for his promptness in going out to the field to solve various issues in the agriculture industry.
"I see the leadership of [Amran] as extraordinary. Maybe I should give [him] another title, not agriculture minister but agriculture commander," he said.
Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2024/02/01/prabowo-praises-farmers-as-true-patriots.htm