Restoring Farmers' Economy, Ridwan Kamil Makes Breakthroughs To Make Thousands Of Hectares Of Unemployed Land Become Productive

BANDUNG - West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said that the economic recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food sector will begin in 2021.

The West Java Provincial Government will produce thousands of hectares of idle land including regeneration of farmers in West Java who are currently entering retirement age with the millennial farmer program.

Kang Emil — Ridwan Kamil's nickname — explained that the food economy recovery with this program was taking place with an emphasis on planting for the needs of the export market. In addition, the application of digital farming to increase harvest time is also enforced.

Based on the results of the 2018 inter-census agricultural survey (Sutas) from the Central Statistics Agency, the number of farmers in West Java reached 3,250,825 people. Of these, only 945,574 farmers aged 25-44 years or 29 percent.

"I see that young people are not happy to return to the village, so there is a peasant crisis. 75 percent of these farmers are over 45 years old, meaning that their children are not proud to be farmers, wanting to go to the city," said Ridwan Kamil in Bandung, Friday, December 11.

To ensure this promising potential, Ridwan Kamil brought together farmers and entrepreneurs in the West Java Food and Festival 2020. Technology for food production needs is offered for the transition from conventional to digital.

"So there is no need to think about what to plant. (If) to sell to whom, that's the government's business. Living in a village, a global business city sustenance. Lack of pleasure whether technology changes our perspective," he explained.

According to him, thousands of hectares of unproductive land in West Java owned by the government and the private sector are scattered in the regions. This land will be managed so that it can be productive.

"There are a lot of idle land, weeds, so grass is useless at all. Even though I was whispered about West Java soil, one of the most fertile lands in the world. This is a note from the professor, because a volcanic eruption million years ago resulted in whatever was being planted, "he said.

Therefore, Kang Emil ensures that the land will be leased to grow food for export needs.

"COVID-19 provides momentum that we must no longer be in the comfort zone ahead of 2021. In essence, land is borrowed by the state to be used as a millennial farmer program to plant something. We must buy it," he explained.

In addition, the trading system in the farmer sector will also be changed in order to provide fair benefits.

"I see why there are farmers who have two hectares of land but their income is only two million per month, they (those) own the land. It turns out that they sell 7 thousand of their grain to middlemen. So those who enjoy it are people who don't sweat, the trading system must be improved," he concluded.