LAW ON AGRO LAND PROTECTION BETTER BE CONSISTENTLY EXERCISED

Commission IV of House urged the Government that the Law no. 41/2009 on Sustainable Food Agricultural Land Protection be consistently exercised. Hence the area of agricultural land would not contract due to refunctioning of land so food resiliency could be well maintained. Fast refunctioning of land must be watched on. Provinces who were striving to pursue APBD target made land refunctioning from food gardens to other purposes out of control. This was stated by Chairman of Commission IV of House Firman Subagyo upon ediving DPRD delegation in Grobogan, Central Java, at the House of representatives in Senayan Jakarta.

Furthermore Firman stated that the Parliament was most supportive to consistent application of that Law because Central Java was the nation’s sizable food resource constituting nearly 45% therefore supposedly industrialization did not have to edge aside farm lands.

Refunctioning of land must be kept watched on as it reached 120 thousand ha of land each year, while the capacity to open agricultural areas was only around 30,000 - 354,000 hectares.

The arrival of Parliament (DPRD) of Grobogan led by Sutirto for consultation of how to exchange development especially agriculture in Grobogan where the area was the second widest in Central Java after Cilacap. Some hindrances were young people today being not interested in agriculture, lack of role of Commission B of House in Budget discussion and poor agricultural facilities and interior technology which were not supportive.

In response to that problem, member of Commission IV of House Djoko Udjianto said there were five variable ways to promote farmer’s welfare, i.e. the right input, capital aid, preparation of rural infra-structure, technological aid, and marketing efforts. When the five factors were realized, there would be agribusiness development and employment which would keep young people from moving to cities which would eventually promote farmer’s welfare.

In the effort to overcome problem in the regions, supposedly the Regent or Governor took the initiative to work hard to promote their regions including to promote farmer’s welfare. For that matter House members of Grobogan made a program in the effort to promote farmer’s welfare which soon would be followed up and have their budget be schemed up by Commission IV of House.

In APBN budget 2013 there was transfer fund for the region amounting to Rp 528 trillion. The financing must be right on target and House would be responsible in eliminating poverty.

 

 

Business News - December 14, 2012