Coordinating Minister For Food Zulhas: Fertilizer Prices Drop, New History In The Agriculture Sector

KARAWANG - Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan said that now the price of fertilizer has decreased by 20 percent.

He said this price drop was a new history in the agricultural sector.

This statement was conveyed by him in a dialogue with farmers during the socialization of the Highest Retail Price (HET) for subsidized fertilizers at the Pupuk Cahaya Tani Kiosk, Tamelang Hamlet, Purwasari, Karawang, West Java, Thursday, November 6.

So, ladies and gentlemen, indeed in history, this is the first time the price of fertilizer has dropped. Have you ever lost the price of fertilizer? Not yet," he said.

Zulhas, as he is familiarly called, said that urea fertilizer, which was originally sold for Rp. 112,500 per sack measuring 50 kilograms (kg), is now only Rp. 90,000 per sack.

Then, continued Zulhas, NPK fertilizer, which was previously sold for Rp. 100,000 to Rp. 115,000 per sack, now farmers can get it at a price of Rp. 92,000 per sack.

"How much is it usually? Now pay only Rp. 90,000. Because of the 20 percent cut. The usual NPK is Rp. 100,000, one sack is Rp. 115,000. Now pay Rp. 92,000. Because it was cut by 20 percent is happy or not? It's good. Now, the price of fertilizer has dropped," he said.

For your information, the government lowered the price of urea fertilizer from Rp2,250 to Rp1,800 per kilogram (kg); NPK from Rp2,300 to Rp1,840 per kg; cocoa NPK from Rp3,300 to Rp2,640 per kg. Then, ZA specifically sugar cane from Rp1,700 to Rp1,360 per kg; and organic fertilizer from Rp800 to Rp640 per kg.

On that occasion, Zulhas also mentioned the increase in the price of unhulled rice purchased from farmers from the previous Rp5,500 per kg, currently it has reached Rp6,500 to Rp7,000 per kg.

"Now here I ask, what is planting? Rice. What is the price of grain now? IDR 7,000? Wow. Last year IDR 5,500. 6,000 tengkulak-tengkulak were harvested, right? Right. Now we inject tengkulak-tengkulak. So he can't buy anymore. The one who bought Bulog, "he said.