Jakarta, The Indonesia Post – Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Syahrul Yasin Limpo said President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) gave 2-3 months to the ranks of relevant ministries/institutions to improve the data and mechanism for distribution of subsidized fertilizers.
“Refining, Mr. President gave time in 2-3 months to be completed and at least those who are entitled to get fertilizer must (accept). There is no fertilizer coming out of the planning context, deviating from the SOP or the location,” Syahrul said at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Wednesday.
The President, said Syahrul, asked that the program and concept of distribution of subsidized fertilizer be improved so that it is implemented correctly in the field, both on time, on target, on the right recipient, and on the right land.
Syahrul admitted that the available budget is only sufficient to allocate 8-9 million tons of subsidized fertilizer. Therefore, the mechanism for distributing subsidized fertilizers must be effective and ensure that they are right on target. Meanwhile, the need for subsidized fertilizer nationally, said Syahrul, exceeds 20 million tons.
“Indeed, our fertilizer needs are very large. If the RDKK plan (RDKK/Definitive Plan for Group Needs) is above 20 million (tons), our budget readiness is only able to reach 8 close to 9 million tons. Therefore, the President ordered us not to have less fertilizer,” said Syahrul.
“What needs to be addressed is the program and the concept must bite and not be carried away in the field, to the farmers according to the time and accuracy available,” said Syahrul added.
Syahrul said he would strengthen coordination with the Ministry of SOEs (BUMN), the National Food Agency, BUMN Pupuk Indonesia Holding Company (PHCI), and local governments.
“Starting from preparing the fertilizer for line 1 in the province, line 2 in the district, line 3 in the sub-district, to line 4. This coordination must be more mature and we hope this agenda will not take too long,” said Syahrul.
The Ministry of Agriculture, said Syahrul, will also conduct validation for recipients of the subsidized fertilizer allocation of 9 million tons.
“The application system and platform for three months must be completed so that this can be stressed, looking for people, where to place them, when to use them and what fertilizers to use,” said the Minister of Agriculture.
Previously, President Jokowi admitted that most of the farmers he met complained about the availability of fertilizers, especially subsidized fertilizers to support crop production.
Jokowi explained that problems regarding the distribution and availability of fertilizers were not only experienced by Indonesia, but also all countries in the world. This is because the condition of the two fertilizer supply countries, namely Russia and Ukraine, has not been conducive due to the war.
“The place for raw materials and fertilizer production is just a war, that’s Russia and Ukraine. This is a problem that is faced by all countries in the world,” Jokowi said in Kebumen, Central Java, on March 9, 2023. (mhn/bbs)
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