Jokowi Adds IDR 14 Trillion Fertilizer Subsidy Budget, Minister Of Agriculture Amran Explains The Reason

JAKARTA - The government of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)-Ma'ruf Amin has increased the budget for fertilizer subsidies by Rp. 14 trillion.

The addition of this budget is carried out in the remainder of the Jokowi administration term.

Responding to this, Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Amran Sulaiman said the government needed to increase the budget for subsidized fertilizers in anticipation of the impact of the El Nino phenomenon.

"Don't politicize this fertilizer. There is another saying because this is an election, no, this is El Nino," he said when met at Waskita Rajawali Tower, Jakarta, Monday, January 8.

Amran said El Nino made domestic agricultural production continue to decline.

Therefore, the government needs to anticipate it to increase the fertilizer subsidy budget to help farmers boost production.

"El Nino is not playing games. Imagine if we didn't move quickly to add fertilizer, this production fell again," he said.

According to Amran, the Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture (Permentan) Number 10 of 2020 concerning Procedures for Determination of the Highest Retail Allocation and Price of Subsidized Fertilizers in the Agricultural Sector also no longer accommodates the needs of farmers.

Amran said many farmers had not yet enjoyed subsidized fertilizer.

This is because you don't have a farmer card.

While the requirements for obtaining subsidized fertilizer by having a Farmer's Card. As a result, there are 17 to 20 percent of farmers who do not receive subsidized fertilizer.

In addition, said Amran, farmers who live in mountains and forestry also find it difficult to access subsidized fertilizers.

The reason is, the majorotas of farmers in the area does not have a Farmer's Card.

If those who own land do not come, have a Farmer's Card, can't get fertilizer. Accumulated from all of this, production decreased by 4 million tons," he explained.