Putting Sustainable Agriculture for Developmenton the Mainstream
Under the shade of trees at Cafe Garden Collection, Campus IPB Baranangsiang, on 30 August 2013, IPB organized Press Conference on the agenda of Golden Anniversary of the University, which will start on 1 September 2013. Dr.Ir. MeikaSyahbanaRusli, MSc., As Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the 50th Anniversary (Dies Natalis) stated the theme of the special event "PengarusutamaanPertanianuntuk Pembangunan Berkelanjutan(Putting Sustainable Agriculture for Development on the Mainstream)".
"The theme is also our five-year strategic plan in near future. Putting sustainable agriculture on the mainstream has been the central issue in the development for Indonesia. Experts agree that the most suitable program for the economic development of Indonesian is the natural resourcesbased-development, "said Dr.Meika.
Dr..Meika said the current agricultural conditions does not conducive due to unsupportive of the government’s policies, namelypolicies on spatial planning, finance, trade and infrastructure. Therefore, explains Dr.Meika, spatial policy supportive to agriculture is really required to assure adequate food supply and the environmental management. "Developed countries, such as Germany and Russia,have been implementing this policy for a long time already," said Dr.Meika.
"One of the existed policyis the financial policy. Public funds saved on the banks have usually been utilized more to finance other sectors, not for agriculture. Though in reality, it is the farmers who provide food for 240 million mouths of the Indonesian people. Is there any bank that facilitate financial support for farmers?No, but there are other non-bank institutions that provide financial for farmers but they charge high interest rates, "said Dr.Meika.
Therefore, IPB decided to take the theme "PengarusutamaanPertanianuntuk Pembangunan Berkelanjutan" as IPB is very concern for the development of Indonesian. The Golden Anniversary of IPB will be celebrated with various events, namely Ceremony of the 50th Anniversary of IPB and official reception of new students (8,000 participants will attend the ceremony), IPB Day (to do physical exercises and dine together, the University provided 300 tumpeng- cones rice), Forum of University Network For Tropical Agriculture (which will present Chancellor and Dean of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry and Veterinary of Asia Pacific), Graduation day, IPB Agriculture Expo (to exhibit innovations had achieved by IPB), one-day lecture at IPB (for high school students, there will be 32 classes available), and JalanPagiSehat(the Healthy Morning Walk) and Campus Festival (will be participated by 4,000 TPB students and 100 foreign and domestic food stalls), social service for villages around the campus, the Open Session (Scientific Oration of the President of RI) danthe Great Home Coming Day for Alumni (for this 50th Anniversary, the OC expected to have around 10 thousands alumnae to attend the event).(Wied).
