Next Indonesian govt expected to focus on food, pro-people programs

They want the government to continue the pro-people programs."

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - As an agrarian country with vast areas and a country with a large population that depends on the agricultural sector, Indonesia should have been able to maintain its food sovereignty and resilience.

The agricultural sector, where most of Indonesias 240 million tie their fate, should maximally be managed to provide fair distribution of prosperity to the all its people. Yet, the agriculture sector has not yet been maximally cultivated so far to improve peoples welfare.

"There are many things that have to be done to create food sovereignty in Indonesia, one of which, is the fair distribution of the agrarian sector," Said Abdullah, coordinator of the working group of the Prosperous Village Alliance (ADS), stated on Tuesday.

Despite the fact that Indonesia has issued Law No. 41/2009 on Protection of Sustainable Food Crop Agricultural Land, yet it is weak in implementing the law. "So far, there has been massive conversion of agricultural land at a fast pace," Abdullah pointed out.

Likewise, the protection for small-scale farmers from uncertain weather conditions is also unclear. They still lack means of production. According to Abdullah, small-scale farmers are also often ignored and thus, fall prey to the efforts made in the name of developing food for national need.

On the other hand, efforts to increase agricultural products that meet the needs of the people and to ensure the countrys food resilience and sovereignty have not yet shown significant results.

According to the Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation (Kehati), the essence of food sovereignty so far has not yet been touched by the government. So, the government should change the basics regarding efforts to maintain food sovereignty.

Based on the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), Indonesia is still active in importing various kinds of commodities.

"In the January-October 2013 period, food imports were high, reaching 15.4 million tons," Kehati Program Director Arnold Sitompul stated.

Arnold noted that the dependence of Indonesia on food imports had reached an alarming level.

Among food commodities imported last year were rice, which reached 400 thousand tons. Recently, controversies aroused over the importation of 16.9 thousand tons of rice from Vietnam in 2013.

There were also 1.4 million tons of soybean and 100.4 tons of cassava.

Regarding rice, data showed that in 2011, Indonesia imported 2.75 million tons of rice worth US$1.5 billion to cover the shortage of its stocks for domestic needs, which have reached more than 30 million tons annually.

Thus, during the recently held World Food Day commemoration in Bukit Tinggi, West Sumatra, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced an action plan in the food production sector called the Bukittinggi Action Plan.

The declaration of the action plan reflected the Indonesian governments resolve to boost its food production in an effort to achieve its food self-sufficiency target in 2014. The government has a target of producing 10 million tons of rice surpluses annually beginning 2014.

Through the implementation of the Bukittinggi Action Plan, the government has set the countrys production target for the year 2014.

The target for maize production is set at 20.82 million tons, up 12.48 percent from 18.51 million tons in 2013. The government also set the countrys rice production target at 76.57 million tons (unhulled rice), up 8.04 percent from 70.877 million tons in 2013, soybean 1.5 million tons, up 85 percent from 0.81 million tons in 2013, sugar 3.10 million tons, up 22.05 percent from 2.54 million tons in 2013, and beef 0.53 million tons, up 23.26 percent from 0.43 million tons in 2013.

Yet, Anold Sitompul is of the view that Indonesia has proven itself as food importer; the country even has a large agricultural land (most have been converted to human settlements). Its rice fields now cover 7.23 million hectares.

He explained that the shifting in the function of land in Java into human settlements has been the reason for Indonesias dependence on import commodities.

Land for production centers in West Java, Banten, Central Java and East Java, has been converted into that for human settlements, resulting in a drastic decline in agricultural production.

Besides this, Indonesias agriculture is land oriented, which is prone to environmental damage, eventually disturbing the sustainability of agriculture itself.

The other problem arising in the food governance in Indonesia is the food diversification program, which is not in line with development planning.

Several areas in Indonesias eastern regions largely depend on rice. While in fact, people in these regions have never consumed rice in the past. "Thus, food diversification through local food development for resilience must get priority from the next government," Arnold emphasized.

Therefore, the Kehati suggested that the next government should reduce food imports in an effort to uphold food sovereignty in the country. "The next government has the obligation to free Indonesia from the influx of food imports," Arnold Sitompul reiterated on Tuesday.

Arnold noted that the dependence of Indonesia on food imports had reached an alarming level. For that, he stressed, the next government (whose term covers October 2014 to October 2019) must have the ability to change the food governance system in Indonesia.

So far, the essence of food sovereignty has not yet been touched by the government. The next government must change the most basic thing in the management of food.

In the meantime, Indonesias former ambassador to the United States Dino Patti Djalal also suggested that the next government further promotes pro-people programs that included distribution of low-priced rice for the poor (Raskin).

In a press statement recently, Dino pointed out that it was important for the next government to maintain the continuation of development and the pro-people policies, including the Raskin program.

As part of its social protection policies for the poor, the government, since 2008, has provided 19.21 million tons of Raskin worth Rp97 trillion, until 2013. Each poor family has been allocated 15 kg Raskin per month at a price of Rp1.6 thousand per kg. The government purchases the rice before distribution at a price of between Rp7 thousand and Rp8 thousand per kg.

The Raskin program contributes 40 percent of the need for rice to a poor family, which reaches about 38 to 40 kg per month.

Dino clarified that in his visit to 30 cities, to directly communicate with the people over the past three months, he found that the people consistently voiced their aspirations regarding the pro-people programs.

"They want the government to continue the pro-people programs. They are afraid that the polices maybe halted," he emphasized.

He added that should there be pro-people programs that have not yet been implemented; they asked for the programs to be improved and implemented.

"I understand their voice as an honest aspiration," Dino, who is also one of the 11 participants in the ruling Democratic Party (PD) presidential candidate convention, stated.

The pro-people programs included Education Improvement Scheme, Smallholders Credit Scheme (KUR), School Operational Assistance (BOS), Rice for the Poor Scheme (Raskin), National Program for People Empowerment (PNPM), Rural Agribusiness Development Program (PUAP), Rural Infrastructure Development Program (PPIP), Village Fish Culture Development Program (PUMP) and Health Insurance Scheme (Jamkesmas).
(T.A014/INE/KR-BSR/O001)

Reporter: Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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