Expressing Feeling Through RRI: How the Future of Our Agriculture?

A citizen of Tual, Maluku, his name is Aman, requested the Minister of Agriculture to consider the fate of farmers whose life are uncertainty. In reality, he expressed, due to farmers the President and other government officials in this country could get food supplies appropriately.

Different topic was set by Aray, a caller from West Kalimantan who complained about the various pests and diseases that attack the plantations and the rice fields of farmers, as the result of the logged over of forests in his environments. He proposed  the government and the scientists to assist farmers in this country to control those pests and diseases that cause losses.

Finally, Suroso of Bogor, he has highlighted the agricultural lands in this rain city, Bogor, as most of them have been tranformed into housing complexes and concrete buildings. " Though their lands  are fertile and good for farming, the landowners prefer to sell their lots, then after ran out cashes they change their profession from farmers to be labours, "said Suroso.

These were the topic of discussions over the telephone in the Expressing Feeling with theme  "Masa Depan Pertanian Kita (The Future of Our Agriculture)" which was broadcasted lively by the national program of the RRI Jakarta, on Sunday, 25 September 2011,  at 05:00 – 6:00 pm. Dr. Ernan Rustiadi, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor Agricultural University, and Vice Chairman of the MUI Bogor KH. Jaya Djudjih Sumpena, were invited as the speakers of the special dialogue.  

In his responds, Dr Ernan stated that those are the major challenges of the Indonesian agriculture. Unfortunately, political policies of Indonesia are still unfavourable for farmers. The fate of farmers were discussed intensively while the candidates running for election, but they won the elections usually they forgot farmers. Very likely that in the future, a new pro-farmers party will be established. Such party was already existed in other  countries, "said Dr. Ernan.

With regard to  many farmers who sell their lands, according to Dr. Ernan, he has  revealed that farmers who changed their professions into non-farm labours, their socio-economic  status are usually much lesser. They usually utilized funds they got from selling their lots for the consumptive materials, thus, they are unable to support the sustainability of the farmers. (Wied).