Jakarta, Feb. 6 -- Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has urged the government of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province to cultivate paddy on 188 thousand hectares of land to achieve food security and self-sufficiency.

"The target of 188 thousand hectares will be supported by the improvement of irrigation, pumping, and provision of production infrastructure and facilities," he said during a meeting with the acting governor of NTT, Andriko Noto Susanto, here on Wednesday, according to a statement issued on Thursday.

The minister noted that NTT has great potential in the agricultural sector. With this potential, rice production in the region can be accelerated to meet demand within the region and even contribute to achieving the nationa...