Goverment Encourages People To Consume Local Food

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, July 27 (ANTARA) - The local government of Kupang continues to encourage the people in the capital city of East Nusa Tenggara to consume locally produced food, such as cassavas, bananas and maize, instead of imported commodities. �Local food, which is available at several restaurants here, has higher nutrient value compared with food commodities that come from outside,� Kupang mayor Daniel Hurek said here on Friday. He urged city residents to �change their mindset� and explore the many options offered by local producers. �Local foods such as cassavas, tubers, peanuts, bananas, maize, and several vegetables are more beneficial to the health of Kupang residents,� Daniel stated. �Apart from having higher nutrition value, these commodities can be easily bought and are more readily available. They are not like paddy, which needs special treatment,� he added. Daniel explained that Kupang was not ideal for rice production because there was not enough arable land to plant paddy. However, he said, there was enough land to produce maize, tuber, peanuts, and vegetables. Daniel pointed out that limited land availability negatively affected food supply and made the province rely on imported food commodities. However, he went on, if people relied increasingly on local produce, there would be no scarcity of food. �If people get used to eating cassavas, bananas, and other substitute foods, there will be no scarcity of rice in this area,� Daniel stated. The government has called on the people of the province to raise awareness about the benefits of consuming locally produced and sourced food. �The current mindset of people in the province will change once they realise the benefits,� Daniel said.