Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian Vice President Ma’ruf Amin called on stakeholders to increase the exports of agricultural commodities that are already stable at present.”Exports of agricultural commodities that are already good can be continuously increased,” Amin remarked while presenting the Adhikarya Agricultural Development Award at the Vice Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday. ccording to the vice president, rice production in 2022 was better than that in 2021, reaching 31.5 million tons. Meanwhile, at the macro level, the agricultural sector was growing consistently, with total exports of agricultural products in 2022 amounting to Rp658 trillion. Vice President Amin remarked that the nation’s success in maintaining the stability of supply and prices of food commodities could not be separated from the decline in the inflation rate that was still at a controlled level. This achievement is also supported by the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform that created a program to increase the capacity of agricultural officers and supports regulatory reform, he affirmed. “Support from the regional governments is also important to implement agricultural development in the region,” he emphasized. On the same occasion, the vice president also lauded the Ministry of Agriculture’s initiative in presenting the Adhikarya Agricultural Development Award for related stakeholders. “I supported the ministry’s initiative to present the Adhikarya Agricultural Development Award as a tribute to the dedication and hard work in the agricultural sector,” he remarked. Vice President Amin then congratulated the award winners and expressed hope that they would increase productivity and synergy in overcoming various challenges to achieve prosperity. “Hopefully, this award will increase motivation, inspire, and multiply the enthusiasm of agricultural stakeholders to increase agricultural productivity and farmer welfare, build a better agricultural ecosystem, and strengthen synergies in overcoming various challenges to agricultural development,” he affirmed. The vice president also appealed to agricultural stakeholders to strengthen cooperation for the sake of advancement and prosperity of the farmers. “Let us develop an advanced agriculture and prosperous farmers towards a prosperous and glorious Indonesia,” he emphasized. Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo stated that agricultural development achievements could be successful due to the role of the central and regional governments. Hence, an award should be given to commend their efforts and hard work. On that occasion, the Adhikarya Utama Award was presented to Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono and Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Abdullah Azwar Anas. Meanwhile, the Adhikarya Nararya Award was bestowed upon Lampung Governor Arinal Djunaidi, South Kalimantan Governor Sahbirin Noor, South Sulawesi Governor Andi Sudirman Sulaiman, South Sumatra Governor Herman Deru, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, and East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa.

Source: Antara News Agency