Hilirisasi Jadi Solusi Jangka Panjang untuk Perkuat Peternak Rakyat

JAKARTA - The national poultry sector's downstream processing is considered a long-term solution to strengthen the position of ordinary farmers in the midst of market price fluctuations and the dominance of the supply chain by large corporations.

Chairman of the National Poultry Breeders Community (KPUN), Alvino Antonio said that the transformation of the poultry industry through the development of post-harvest infrastructure has become an urgent need so that farmers do not continue to rely on the sale of live chickens which have high risks.

"The national poultry sector is no longer just an option, but a necessity. We need to build post-harvest infrastructure that can absorb the results of people's livestock stably so that farmers are no longer dependent on the sale of live chickens which are high-risk," said Alvino when met on the sidelines of the Agrimat seminar, at NICE PIK, Jakarta, written Saturday, May 9.

According to Alvino, the sustainability of the people's farmers' business is currently overshadowed by the uncertainty of fluctuating market prices. This condition is exacerbated by the dominance of the supply chain by large companies so that small farmers are in a vulnerable position.

Therefore, the government is considered to need to build downstream infrastructure through state-owned enterprises (BUMN) for food, such as poultry slaughterhouses (RPHU) and cold storage facilities or cold storage in people's livestock centers. This infrastructure is expected to be able to absorb chicken and egg production stably while supporting the Government Food Reserve (CPP).

The push for downstreaming is also in line with the government's plan through the Danantara Investment Management Agency (BPI) and the Ministry of Agriculture, which is said to have prepared funding of Rp. 20 trillion to build a national-scale integrated chicken farming ecosystem.

In addition, Alvino also highlighted the plan to transfer the authority to import soybean meal (SBM) from the private sector to SOEs. SBM is one of the main raw materials for animal feed which greatly affects the cost of production of farmers.

He hopes that the policy will be carried out through close coordination with livestock associations and business actors so that supplies are maintained and do not cause turmoil in the market.

"In principle, we support the government's policy and are ready to collaborate and synergize to realize a more equitable business ecosystem and improve the welfare of farmers," said Alvino.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Sejahtera Poultry Farmers Cooperative (KPUS) Kendal Regency, Suwardi, said that the problems faced by farmers today are not only about selling prices but also about governance from upstream to downstream.

According to him, farmers are in the most vulnerable position because they have to face high production costs in the midst of regulatory uncertainty. Meanwhile, the government's flagship program Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) which is the hope of farmers but has not had a major impact.

"Today I say that farmers are not okay. Because upstream, the government must play a role, who will be protected, who will benefit upstream?," said Suwardi.

According to Suwardi, MBG is a good program because it aims to improve the nutritional quality of the Indonesian people. However, livestock farmers have not been widely involved in the supply chain of the program.

"Farmers today have depended (on hope) because information will be absorbed and so on. What is the end? Today, farmers like me only get PHP (false hope giver) from the MBG program," he said.