Jakarta - Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono has invited European entrepreneurs, particularly from Belgium, to invest in Indonesia's agricultural sector.
This was conveyed in an effort to support the free nutritious meal program that will be run by President-elect Prabowo Subianto. The program is aimed at creating a Golden Indonesia 2045 with a healthy and smart generation.
“We have discussed with several Belgian businessmen in Brussels to explore investment opportunities in Indonesia's agricultural sector. The government is preparing a free nutritious meal program for elementary school children, which is an important step to achieve a Golden Indonesia 2045,” the Minister said in his statement, Saturday (14/9/2024).
According to the Minister, Prabowo Subianto's step in providing nutritious food for elementary school students is the right step to build a healthy and highly competitive future generation of Indonesia. “If we are able to provide nutritious food, such as rice, meat, and balanced vegetables, this generation will grow smart and be able to advance Indonesia,” he explained.
In addition to discussing investment in meat, dairy, and vegetable commodities, the Minister also emphasized the importance of downstreaming food such as coffee, rubber, and cocoa - superior commodities that are already popular among European consumers. He hopes that through cooperation with Belgian entrepreneurs, the international market for Indonesian agricultural products will continue to grow.
“With Indonesia's great potential, we are optimistic that our agricultural market can expand internationally,” he added.
The Minister also highlighted the vast fertile agricultural land in Indonesia, which provides great potential for the country to become a food production center in Southeast Asia. Cooperation with Belgium is considered to help modernize Indonesian agriculture, including the development of post-harvest technology, logistics, and distribution.
Belgian entrepreneurs who attended the discussion welcomed the invitation to invest in Indonesia. They see Indonesia as a promising market, with great natural resource potential and government policies that support foreign investment in the agricultural sector. Belgium is also interested in participating in the development of healthy food products related to the free nutritious meal program.
This cooperation is expected to help Indonesia increase agricultural productivity and accelerate the achievement of the government's goal of providing equal access to nutritious food for all levels of society.
Previously, Sudaryono also met with the Indonesian Ambassador to Belgium, Andri Hadi, as well as the Indonesian diaspora and students in Belgium. During the meeting, he emphasized the importance of increasing the export value of Indonesian agricultural commodities, especially in the European market.
He also expressed his commitment to create millennial farmers and young exporters to boost the growth of the national agricultural sector and expand international markets. However, according to the Minister, a strong commitment is needed from the Indonesian Embassy in Belgium and other countries to help open new market access for Indonesian agricultural products.
“We must encourage the promotion of local Indonesian entrepreneurs to help increase exports of agricultural commodities. It will also help the Indonesian diaspora who open businesses abroad by bringing in products from the country,” he concluded. (InfoPublik.id)