Key of Agribusiness Sector Went Forward, State Leadership Should Be Strong

The National Policy Analysts, Prof.Dr. Didik J. Rachbini, said that the key to the success of the agricultural sector particularly the agribusiness forward was the strong country leadership. “In a national economic policy that I have seen, one of the Indonesian government’s policy repertoire works and does not exist in other countries is the application of BIMAS,” said Prof. Didik in the Talkshow of “Farmer’s Welfare and Food Security, National Leaders’ Vision”, Sunday (7/4) in the event of 7th Agrinex Expo, Jakarta Convention Center. This activity was held in cooperation between Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia and Performax.

 

Prof. Didik said, never existed in the history of the world a country with the income of less than 1,000 dollars that could achieve the food self-sufficiency except Indonesia. There was never a self-sufficiency country with the coverage production or the production which was little by little.  Only in Indonesia that could achieve the food self-sufficiency with narrowed lands and peasant production slightly. “Self-sufficiency is succeeded in the country managed by poor human resource, less educated and poor. Most countries managed to achieve food self-sufficiency are those with high income with vast land. I see this is happening because of a strong leadership,” explained Prof. Didik. 

 

In the new order period, the government really focused on the agricultural sector. Of the new order policy we could get the knowledge about the five farming. The Ministry of Public Works handled irrigation. The Ministry of Agriculture supplied seeds and provided counseling. The Ministry of Industry supplied fertilizer. Bulog kept the price of rice and agricultural products in the market. Right now it became a model. At the moment, Bimas became the valuable lesson with APBN of Rp 2-3 trillion, the human resources and the poor condition could be successful to achieve the food self-sufficiency.

 

However, Prof. Didik continued, the government was now even Bimas applicable to certain sectors such as tourism it remained difficult to reap success. “With the regional autonomy, I see the local government pays less attention to the agricultural sector, everywhere the irrigation in the area damaged, all are free and liberal,” he said. (ris)