The Head of the World Food Agency (FAO) Representative for Indonesia and Timor Leste Rajendra Aryal appreciated the achievements of Indonesia's agricultural development during the Covid-19 pandemic because it continued to increase at a time when food conditions and the world economy declined. "On the second World Food Day (HPS) during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indonesian government has carried out extraordinary agricultural development. The performance of the agricultural sector is extraordinary, the GDP of the agricultural sector grew positively and increased by 2.59 percent. This achievement is extraordinary. ," said Rajendal Aryal virtually at the peak of the 41st HPS commemoration which was held directly in the rice fields of Jagapura Wetan Village, Cirebon Regency, West Java, Monday and was followed virtually in 41 regions of Indonesia.

Aryal reiterated FAO's commitment to provide more support in its ongoing efforts to transform Indonesia's food system into a more sustainable one. According to him, the Indonesian government has shown extraordinary efforts to overcome the negative impact of the pandemic on people's lives. "FAO will continue to work closely with the government to provide protection to small farmers and their families, food workers in all sectors, and the most vulnerable," Rajendra said. Based on BPS data, during 2020, namely in the second quarter of 2020, the GDP of the agricultural sector grew 16.24 percent (q to q). In the third and fourth quarters, agricultural GDP grew by 2.15 percent and 2.59 percent (yoy) respectively and was able to save the worsening of the national economic recession.

Furthermore, agricultural exports also showed encouraging performance. During January-December 2020 the export value of agricultural products reached Rp451.8 trillion and increased 15.79 percent compared to the same period in 2019 of Rp390,2 trillion. The increase in exports continued into the January-September 2021 period, where agricultural exports reached Rp. 450 trillion and grew 45.36 percent compared to the same period in 2020, whose export value reached Rp. 309.58 trillion. BPS recorded the Farmer's Exchange Rate (NTP) since June 2020 NTP 99.66 continued to increase until December 2020 to 103.2 and continued in early 2021. In September 2021, NTP was 105.68 and increased 0.96 percent compared to August 2021 Indonesia has also succeeded in maintaining food availability and reducing the prevalence of food insecurity and food inflation during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo said that the 41st HPS in 2021 with the theme "Improved Agriculture, Safe Food, in the Midst of a Global Crisis Pandemic" aims to strengthen cooperation and increase effective functional coordination from all components of government and society to support food security. In addition, to encourage the resilience of the agricultural sector, especially in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic that is still ongoing today. "We hope that this HPS is able to become a part of conveying respect to agricultural business actors. In these two years, Indonesia has been hit by a difficult situation, namely the COVID-19 pandemic which has made life stagnate, but the Indonesian agricultural sector has been able to protect the country and the nation. Agriculture is the only sector that never subsides, agricultural GDP grows which continues to grow positively when other sectors experience a decline," he said. Syahrul emphasized that the challenges facing the agricultural sector in the future will be even more severe given the climate change, water crisis and a surge in population growth. Therefore, the 41st HPS must be used as a momentum for emotional consolidation of all parties to face the challenges of the agricultural sector in the future which is getting bigger and bigger.

"Therefore, in this HPS, technology is prepared to overcome climate change, so that it can prepare water so that there is no drought, efforts to plant gardens and plant varieties that can save or save water," he said.

Sources: https://www.antaranews.com/berita/2480121/fao-apresiasi-sektor-pertanian-indonesia-di-masa-pandemi