"Even Seeds Have Mafia", Erick Thohir's Speech In Front Of Unpad Students That Makes A Confusion

JAKARTA - The words of the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) Erick Thohir in front of hundreds of Unpad students, last Saturday, April 23 caused a commotion. Erick is very clear that there is a mafia in the matter of farmers' seeds.

This was conveyed by Minister Erick Thohir when giving a public lecture entitled "BUMN and Acceleration of Higher Education Industry Collaboration through Hybrid University Models and Digital Transformation" at Unpad, Bandung, last Saturday, April 23.

Initially, Erick said that farmers would be a priority for the government's attention because food must be managed optimally. That's why there is such a thing as the Makmur program where farmers get financing from BRI, Bank Mandiri to Bank Syariah Indonesia.

However, farmers will also receive assistance from PT Pupuk Indonesia when providing fertilizer so that it is on time.

"Because seeds also have mafia. Many farmers get hybrid seeds, which are wrong so that when they grow they don't produce good ones," explained Erick.

Erick also explained that his party would provide crop failure insurance. So if the farmer fails to harvest, the insurance is there.

Erick's words are now making the situation hot.

Deputy Secretary General for Public Policy and Strategic Issues, Hermawi Taslim, confirmed that his party would firmly ask Syahrul Yasin Limpo to resign from the Minister of Agriculture if Erick's words were proven true. ) to resign from the cabinet because he has injured the restoration service mission mandated by the party to him," said Hermawi.

However, NasDem will ask Erick to explain his statement first. The reason is that Syahrul Limpo is a NasDem cadre assigned to assist President Joko Widodo in the cabinet. He also emphasized that if there is strong evidence regarding alleged irregularities at the Ministry of Agriculture, then NasDem has asked the KPK or the Attorney General's Office to immediately investigate thoroughly. Hermawi then questioned the statement that seemed impressed. suddenly from the Minister of SOEs Erick Thohir regarding the existence of a mafia in the Ministry of Agriculture. "NasDem also wants to ask Erick Thohir why he is talking about the mafia in the Ministry of Agriculture," he questioned.