The Association of
Indonesian Farmers and Fishermen [KTNA] expected the Government to approve
application of bio technology in Indonesia so farmers could benefit from it.
Chairman of KTNA Winarno Tohir state in Jakarta on Thursday [14/8] farmers were
not Permitted to apply bio-technology. Imported bio technology products like
corn and soy had entered the domestic market.
Winarno underscored that farmers’ welfare and self
reliance in food were indispensable. Therefore increased income from food must
be technology and innovation based, an example was bio genetics. This according
to Winarno was because most of the land for agriculture were mostly marginal
land of sub-maximum land outsider Java, while in Java fertile land areas had
shrunk dramatically.
Winarno said that it was necessary to be selective about
choosing the plants to be planted. “We really expect the Government could
promote application of bio technology and give us the chance to apply the most
up to date seeding technology”
He further an important factor to be seen by the
Government to step up food production by quality and quantity toward
self-reliance in food in Indonesia. he disclosed that in 2013 18 million
farmers in 27 countries plant their plants on bio-technology basis and 90% of
them were poor farmers in developing countries. This illustrated farmers who
were normally reluctant to take a risk in using biotechnology.
Almost certainly the positive impact of application of
agro-technology was to increase agricultural production. The condition would
reduce import of food which increased year after year. The advantaged would
generate chain effect on industry sectors like farming, poultry, food
processing etc. Therefore farmers needed to be given incentives so they would
keep on probing on this sector. Farmers needed to be allowed to choose the kind
of technology they wished to access.
Data of the Ministry of Agriculture had it that today
bio-technology was applied on 175 million hectares of land in 27 countries for
17 years against 1.7 hectares in 1996. Nearly all countries had applied
bio-technology. He further said that farmers’ liberty to choose was protected
by the Law.
He explained that biotechnology was application of
science and the principles of technology in processing a product based on
biology as medium for producing by products, to purify plant or animals or
develop micro organism for scientific purposes.
Meanwhile Diah Maulida, Deputy Coordinating Minister of
Food and bio-resources said that the Government had just released Presidential
Decree No. 53/2014 on the Commission of Genetic Engineering Products which made
seeding and horticulture one step closer to marketing of genetically modified
organism [GMO]. “By that policy, just one more step bio tech seed would be
available in Indonesia market” Maulida said.
He said that technological experts, researchers and food
and agricultural procedures were obliged to promote food production. The
Presidential Decree was follow up steps to meet three food resiliency targets
set by President SBY, i.e. increase of farmers’ income and to ensure sufficient
food supply for Indonesia’s 240 million population. (SS)
Business News - August 20, 2014
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