The buzz around the cassava food estate project has spread like wildfire since the gripping third presidential debate on January 7, 2024. Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto’s ambitious project became a focal point of scrutiny as presidential candidate Anies Baswedan voiced his concerns.
Anies didn’t hold back when he unveiled his vision and mission, calling out the cassava food estate for its cronies’ benefits, environmental damage, and lack of productivity. The controversy didn’t end there, as the former Governor of DKI Jakarta continued to champion his cause while rallying in Gorontalo the following day. He advocated for redirecting the state-funded food estate budget towards small-scale farmers, asserting that the current project only served the interests of corporations and private entities.
As the brainchild of President Joko Widodo, the food estate project initially aimed to bolster food reserves in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the public raised eyebrows when Prabowo was entrusted with leading the food affairs. President Jokowi stressed the importance of food security as a vital component of national defence, underscoring the initiative’s broad involvement across sectors and ministries, including the Defence Ministry.
Prabowo’s vision for cassava centres in various regions, including Gunung Mas Regency in Central Kalimantan Province, added an intriguing twist to the narrative. He envisioned a central production site and an integrated cassava industry, touting cassava as an easy-to-grow crop and an alternative staple food source.
The government’s swift mobilisation of heavy equipment, hundreds of workers, and soldiers painted a picture of grandeur as trees were felled to transform the lush landscape into a sprawling cassava plantation. However, the project’s hasty commencement before the completion of an environmental impact analysis forecasted impending doom. The toll of deforestation quickly made its mark, wreaking havoc on settlements with devastating floods during the rainy season.
Unfortunately, the grand ambitions of the cassava food estate project fell flat as it came to light that the cassava simply wouldn’t take root in the unearthed soil. The dream of a flourishing cassava production and industry centre faded away, leaving behind a haunting reminder of the project’s failures.
There you have it, a tale of ambition, controversy, and unfulfilled promise woven into the fabric of the cassava food estate project.
