Indonesia receives FAO appreciation for strengthening animal health and food security
Boyolali, 22 September 2023. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) acknowledged Indonesia’s continuous efforts in the animal health sector and presented Letters of Appreciation for strengthening national animal health and food security. The Letters of Appreciation were conferred by FAO Representative in Indonesia and Timor Leste, Rajendra Aryal, to Indonesia’s Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, at the Bulan Bhakti Peternakan dan Kesehatan Hewan peak event in Boyolali, Central Java, Friday (22/9).
Indonesia, through the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), has successfully controlled the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Indonesia for over a decade since the first HPAI outbreak in 2005. The Letters of Appreciation were also presented in recognition of the Ministry of Agriculture’s contribution in conserving the Bali Cattle (Bos javanicus domesticus, or Sapi Bali in local language) germplasm during the last thirteen years.
On this occasion, Indonesia's Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, emphasized that numerous parties were responsible for demonstrating Indonesia's capacities for producing native Indonesian cattle as well as controlling bird flu.
"Our success must not be singled out from the hard work of the farmers, breeders, officers, academia, as well as the synergy of the cross-sectoral efforts," said Syahrul.
Rajendra Aryal, FAO Representative in Indonesia and Timor Leste, praised the efforts and contributions made by the Ministry of Agriculture, “These Letters appraise the Ministry of Agriculture's inspirational examples in delivering results and making tremendous progress in strengthening Indonesia’s animal health sector and food system. It also proves that public services can be delivered more efficiently, effectively, and equitably to reach sustainable development goals for all, if worked together.”
FAO has been working closely with the MoA to enhance Indonesia’s capacity and ability to control HPAI sustainably since 2005 when Indonesia became one of the global epicenters for human H5N1 avian influenza infections, with more human cases and fatalities than any other country until 2014. “To date, Indonesia, under the leadership of the MoA, and with the technical support of FAO and multisectoral stakeholders through One Health approach, has succeeded in controlling HPAI until it is no longer a pandemic”, explained Aryal. With this success, the productivity of poultry farms that produce animal food sources continue to rise, thereby safeguarding national food security.
“Bali cattle have been recognized internationally as originating from Indonesia and are a national asset that needs to be preserved”, highlighted Aryal further. The Ministry of Agriculture has worked in protecting this germplasm through integrated measures, such as enforcing national regulations, to ensure optimal conservation and increasing productivity.
“Efforts to find joint solutions for improving food resilience need to be continued by Indonesia and the global community, and FAO stands ready to provide the necessary support. FAO hopes that this appreciation will serve as an inspiration for other government agencies to prioritize commitment, hard work, and creativity in order to establish programmes with powerful impact,” added Aryal.