Wednesday (25/05/2022) SHEEP Indonesia Foundation (YSI) together with the Sabu Raijua Regency Government held a coordination meeting on agricultural and food development in 2022 with the theme "Elaborating the sustainable food movement and its implications in the work plan of the agriculture and food service in 2022". The coordination meeting was held as an effort to support food resilience and improve the regional economy. This is done through the optimization of local food production, the use of village funds, and protection policies to maintain the preservation of local food based on agroecology.
The activity was attended by Sabu Raijua Regent Drs.Nicodemus N.Rihi Heke, M.Si, elements of the Sabu Raijua Regional Apparatus Organization (OPD), 6 sub-district heads, all village heads and village heads, as well as agricultural extension workers in Sabu Raijua district in the office hall of the Sabu Raijua Agriculture and Food Service. In the coordination meeting, the implementation of the Circular Letter (SE) of the Regent of Sabu Raijau Number: 525.29/95/DPP-SR/II/2022 concerning the food diversification movement was also discussed. Regent's circular received a good response and was followed up by the agriculture and food service which then synergized with YSI in conducting program studies and identifying partners to jointly carry out food issues and support sources of funds for program financing. In its commitment and implementation, the use of village funds will be available 20% for food and animal security, as stated in the presidential regulation policy No.104 of 2021 and is based on Permenkeu 190/PMK.07/2021 concerning village fund management.
Based on the description of the Village Community Empowerment Office who was also present at the meeting, there was Rp.12,523,917,186 (twelve billion five hundred and twenty-three nine hundred and seventeen thousand one hundred and eighty-six rupiah) of village fund funding sources from 20% of village funds in Sabu Raijua district. From this fund, there is a budget allocation for food and agriculture of Rp.4,682,384,282 (four billion six hundred and eighty-two million three hundred and eighty-four thousand two hundred and eighty-two rupiah) to support existing programs in the agriculture and food service. This is a great potential to be maximized in the context of implementing programs and synergizing agricultural and food development in Sabu Raijua Regency.
The coordination meeting resulted in several agreements, including: support from the Agriculture and Food Service for the Sustainable Food movement, supervision of food security funds by the Office of Community Empowerment and Village Government, allocation of at least 20% of village funds for food security, heads of government from the village to district levels supporting the diversification of local food in their regions, as well as other policies that encourage and are oriented towards accelerating food independence in Sabu Raijua. This is in synergy with the program that is being carried out by YSI as a follow-up to the study and development of a sustainable local food independence system program in 8 assisted villages.