Minister of ATR (Agrarian and Spatial Planning): To Revive the Centre for Agrarian Studies of IPB Thursday, May 28, 2015

Rector of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) Prof. Dr Herry Suhardiyanto and Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning (ATR) RI, Ferry Mursyidan Baldan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Auditorium of Andi Hakim Nasution, Dramaga Campus, Bogor, on Tuesday (26/5). It concerns with "Agrarian Reform and Control, Utilization of Space to Support Food Security".

 

On this occasion the Minister hopes the Agrarian Studies Center of IPB can be revived. "IPB should be leading in managing agrarian. Our interest when it comes to agrarian is how to know exactly how much it is the productive land area we have today and how much land should be prepared to increase productivity," he said.

 

According to him, our awareness of the importance of food sovereignty is not optimal. The resilience of a country can be seen from the toughness of the country to produce food for its people. This means that a country is sovereign when it holds its food sovereignty.

 

He said, "One of the problems that are currently being worked out by the Ministry is the presence of indefinite land tenure of too large scale. The Ministry is beginning to set up land right for the people. If possible, certification process will be accelerated ".

 

"The problems are mixed as though unresolved. We are doing a process of how the land is not to be a private space. I disagree an exclusive right for cemetery. So far this burial ground is free from property tax because of the social activities there. What happens now is that the cemetery land is made private," he said.

 

Meanwhile, IPB Rector said, food security is about farmers’ access to land (agricultural land). "The agricultural issues cannot be postponed. Anyone who controls the food can control the nation. Land must be handled properly. Farmers’ access to land is very limited, unequal. It is characterized by excessive land tenure by a small group of people. The data we have indicate that there has been a conversion of rice field of 110 thousand hectares. Hopefully with this partnership, the agrarian reform becomes more orderly and can support the food security program," said Rector. (Mtd)