Indonesia to Send 10,000 Tons of Rice to Palestinians

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has issued an order for the government to provide a grant of 10,000 tons of rice to Palestine, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman stated.

"The President has instructed us to provide aid for Palestine in the form of 10,000 tons of rice," Sulaiman remarked during a joint press conference with Palestinian Agriculture Minister Rezq Basheer-Salimia in Jakarta on Monday.

The minister highlighted that the Indonesian government had prepared the rice and stands ready to dispatch it as soon as the Palestinian Embassy greenlights it. "It (the rice) will be delivered in coordination with the Palestinian ambassador (Zuhair Al-Shun). We are ready to hand over the rice at any time," Sulaiman emphasized.

The minister stated that the Indonesian and Palestinian governments had also inked a memorandum of understanding on agricultural cooperation, which is set to focus on the cultivation of rice, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, and other horticultural commodities.

He noted that the Ministry of Agriculture had readied land areas measuring between 10 thousand and 20 thousand hectares on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan for a co-farming initiative with Palestine. The outputs will be used as food supplies for the Palestinian people.

"When our brothers and sisters in Palestine require food, they can simply source it from the sites designated for this cooperation. In other words, this is part of our humanitarian initiative for the people of Palestine. We help them pursue independence through food," he affirmed.

Sulaiman also noted that a delegation from Palestine is set to visit Sumatra and Kalimantan to review the readiness of the requisite agricultural infrastructure. Palestinian Minister Basheer-Salimia, in turn, extended appreciation and gratitude to the Indonesian government and public for their unwavering support for Palestine's struggle for independence.

He highlighted that Palestine and Indonesia will establish an Agriculture Technical Committee to follow up on the agricultural cooperation. The committee will also address knowledge and technology exchanges, investment promotional activities, and marketing of agricultural products.

The minister said he considers this partnership a vital way to help his nation secure sufficient food supplies, especially as Palestine's agriculture sector faces severe disruptions due to Israeli aggression.