President Jokowi had asked
the proposition to set up Farmer’s Bank be pursued and be analyzed further to
protect farmers from hedgers, brokers and bloodsuckers. President made this
statement on the occasion of opening the Convention VII of HKTI Farmers
association in Jakarta on Friday (31/7). The statement was made because to
empower farmers, the most urgent thing to be done by all stakeholders was
capital injection and marketing. To help farmers sell their agro commodities at
profitable price, it would be necessary to apply sound marketing strategies by
involving BULOG and cooperatives societies. When farmers were empowered, the
nation would be on the way toward food souverignity. “We must strengthen this
sort of optimism” the President said.
Furthermore the President said that the precondition for
the advancement of national agriculture was availability of single data, it
would be difficult to plan type of plant, outspread, planting time, and post
harvest process, moreover in times of changing planting time due to anomalous
climate of today.
Beside single data, availability of production component
including affordable seed and fertilizers were most important in promoting
national agriculture.
Furthermore the President said that to support national
food diversification must be developed in line with the agriculture reformation
run by the Government.
Reliable data showed that world’s rice consumption today
was posted at 450 million tons per year while consumption of cassava was 242
million tons. By such need there was opportunity for Indonesia to feed the
world when farmers were empowered and well organized. “Food souvereignity and
food surplus would be hard to achieve when farmers were not empowered and
poorly organized.” the President stressed.
To quote the President’s speech at the opening of the
Asia Africa conference on April 22, 2015 President Jokowi stated that the
world’s future depended on countries on the equator. “The sun that shines all
year through would make food production, including water and energy supply
always be abundant; we live in this part of the world” the President said.
The President reminded that farmer’s empowerment must not
just be a slogan or even theme for political campaign. To empower farmers
needed change of mindset and sound measures. For long people had been talking
about helping farmers. To protect farmers the action must be solid. To
illustrate, today the El Nino phenomenon was threatening the world and many
regions were having water shortage.
El Nino made farmers suffer, especially during planting
season. To overcome water deficit, the Government tried to solve by pumping out
underground water and distribute water pumps to farmers who needed them.
Besides, the Government also built absorptive land, water ponds and dams.
“Don’t just complain when dry season comes, but forget to save water in rainy
season for a hot sunny day” the President concluded. (SS)
Business New - August 5, 2015
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