Kemenkop Strengthens The East Java Tebu Farmers' Ecosystem, Realizes Sugar Resilience

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Cooperatives (Kemenkop) through the Revolving Fund Management Agency (LPDB) strengthens the sugarcane farmers' ecosystem in East Java (East Java), especially at the Mutual Business Producers Cooperative (KPUB) Rosan Kencana, in order to maintain national sugar resistance.

"We will collaborate with other stakeholders such as the Head of the local Service, the sugar factory (PG), and the cooperative," said the President Director (Managing Director) of LPDB Supomo as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, February 20.

Supomo said that his party would help apply for a revolving fund proposal for cooperatives through e-Proposal.

However, to get revolving funds from LPDB, cooperatives that are managed must be institutionally healthy.

"If you are not healthy, how can the cooperative return it. Because this is people's money too," said Supomo.

Supomo believes that the distribution of funds revolving at the Rosan Kencana KPUB can run smoothly because it will duplicate the LPDB that has been carried out in Malang Regency.

"What is done in Kebon Agung Malang is what we will duplicate here. Such an ecosystem is what we will build," he said.

As for Malang, LPDB disbursed revolving funds of around Rp. 40-60 billion for one period of planting, purchasing fertilizers, and cutting transportation.

On the same occasion, the General Chairperson of the KPUB Rosan Kencana Pungkasiadi explained that currently 46 of his primary members are cooperatives with a total of 70,000 farmers in 24 districts/cities in East Java that have sugarcane plantations.

Through the program implemented, his party hopes to help accelerate food self-sufficiency in the sugar sector.

"We hope that the national food self-sufficiency in the sugar sector can be realized in 2027," said Pungkasiadi.

Moreover, he said, KPUB Rosan Kencana East Java was the executor of the National Sugar Productivity Improvement Acceleration Program in East Java in 2004-2008, as well as being a cooperative institutional for sugarcane farmers in East Java, which has been running well so far.