inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni says utilizing forests as food, energy and water reserve areas can help Indonesia free itself from rice imports.

According to Raja, when looking at Indonesia's rice import data in 2023 which reach 3.5 million tons and compared to the potential land of 1.1 million hectares of the total 20.6 million hectares of food reserve forest, he believes that the use of those lands can cover national consumption needs.

He said the use of land for food reserves was carried out with an intercropping system using dryland rice in an effort not to deforest the area.

"So the 20.6 million lands of forests will not be cleared for farms, but instead maximizing the function of the forest," said the Minister of Forestry.

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