Coordinating Minister Airlangga: Budget Added To Provide 7.7 Million Tons Of Subsidized Fertilizer

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said, an additional Rp14 trillion for the provision of subsidized fertilizers aims to achieve the target of procuring 7.7-7.8 million tons of subsidized fertilizer this year. "The government provided subsidized fertilizers this year of 5.2 million tons, then the allocation was added by the President (Joko Widodo) as much as 2.5 million tons, in accordance with the procurement target of 7.7 to 7.8 million tons," said Airlangga Hartarto quoted from ANTARA, Sunday, February 4. The addition of the allocation was carried out to overcome the subsidized fertilizer shortage which this year is targeted to be given to 14.3 million farmers. He stated that President Jokowi had approved an additional budget of Rp14 trillion from the original ceiling of Rp26 trillion for the procurement of an additional 2.5 million tons of subsidized fertilizer. He also said that his party would ask the Ministry of Agriculture and the House of Representatives (DPR) to immediately realize this assistance. Airlangga noted that the allocation of subsidized fertilizers in Bekasi Regency was 9,11 tons and the distribution had been realized 15 percent or 1,367 tons as of February 3, 2024. Subsidized fertilizers for farmers in the Bekasi Regency were distributed by PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero) through the Lini III Warehouse which now houses 4,088 tons of subsidized fertilizer for the region. Meanwhile, to reduce the government's burden on the existence of subsidies and budget addition, Airlangga said that his party asked PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero) to help provide fertilizers at affordable prices for the community.

Therefore, the state-owned company also held a Pupuk Discount Festival during January to February 2024 to welcome the planting season at the beginning of this year. Bekasi Regency is the 29th location of the 42 target location for the 2024 Pupuk Discount Gebyar. Pupuk Indonesia distributed 1,000 cheap cane coupons for non-subsidized fertilizers to farmers in the region. With this coupon, they received a 40 percent discount from the initial price of IDR 450,000 to IDR 270,000 for the purchase of a non-subsidized fertilizer package consisting of 25 kilograms of urea and 25 kilograms of NPK.. "I'm happy today there is a discount on fertilizer because agricultural problems are the government's main concern," he said.