Subsidized Fertilizer Rates In Karawang This Year Reduced By Almost 50 Percent

Illustration - Workers tidy up fertilizer stocks in the fertilizer warehouse of PT Pupuk Kujang. (ANTARA/Ali Khumaini/dok)

KARAWANG - The Department of Agriculture and Food Security in Karawang Regency, West Java, said that subsidized fertilizer rations for farmers in the Karawang area were drastically reduced by 50 percent compared to 2023. "The allocation of fertilizers in Karawang this year, in accordance with RDKK (the definitive plan for the needs of farmer groups) has indeed decreased," said Head of the Karawang Agriculture and Food Security Service, Asep Hazar, when contacted in Karawang, Friday, January 19. He said, when compared to the allocation of fertilizers for the Karawang area in the previous year, this year there was a reduction of about 50 percent of fertilizer rations for the Karawang area. The allocation of subsidized urea fertilizer for the Karawang area in 2023 will reach 58 thousand tons. Meanwhile, this year, the quota for Karawang is only 31 thousand tons of subsidized urea fertilizer. Asep Hazar hopes that farmers in his area will not worry about reducing the allocation or allocation of fertilizers for the Karawang area. This is because the government can add additional subsidized fertilizer allocations. He hopes that farmers can continue to focus on planting and utilizing subsidized fertilizers distributed in the first planting season of this year. "Judging from the allocation of subsidized fertilizers in Karawang as stated in the RDKK, there is indeed a reduction. But the allocation is not absolute, because in its implementation it can be added," he said. So, he said, although the subsidized urea fertilizer quota in Karawang has decreased by up to 50 percent, the allocation of subsidized fertilizer this year is actually more flexible.

"This allocation is flexible. It can be added if it turns out to be lacking. It is likely that April will have an additional allocation for the next planting season," said Asep Hazar.