The Increase In Subsidy Fertilizers To 9.5 Million Tons Is Expected To Be Able To Realize Food Self-Sufficiency

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - General Chairperson of the Mainstay Fisherman Farmers' Contact (KTNA) Yadi Sofyan Noor hopes that the increase in subsidized fertilizer from 4.7 million tons to 9.5 million tons or a total of IDR 54 trillion, can realize food self-sufficiency for the nation.

"That much fertilizer allocation prepared by the government for farmers throughout Indonesia must be a trigger in realizing food self-sufficiency," Yadi said in a statement in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Saturday, March 30.

According to him, the addition of subsidized fertilizer allocations is a special gift for Indonesian farmers ahead of the next 2 (MT II) planting season.

Yadi assessed that the allocation of such a lot of fertilizer should be a trigger for Indonesia in realizing self-sufficiency. Moreover, fertilizer is the main factor that can be fulfilled in the era of President Jokowi.

To support this policy, his party will immediately coordinate with farmers in all regions so that it can increase productivity in producing food.

"Immediately we will coordinate with the poktan (farm groups) to prepare their plantation land for production in 2024," he said.

Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Andi Amran Sulaiman said the allocation of subsidized fertilizers in 2024 received an additional budget of IDR 28 trillion, bringing the total to IDR 54 trillion, in order to increase domestic agricultural productivity so that it could realize food self-sufficiency.

He said the addition was a follow-up to various meetings and limited meetings with President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and also a number of related ministers including Finance Minister Sri Mulyani.

Amran continued, said that with the addition of the budget, the allocation of fertilizers reached 9.5 million tons, and it was officially decided through the letter of the Minister of Finance Number S-297/MK.02.2024.

"This good news is what Indonesian farmers have been waiting for because this is part of the milestone in the return of farmers' needs, namely fertilizer. Thank God I signed this morning," he said.

Even so, Amran said that there are important things that must be considered in the distribution so that they are right on target, namely the police together with the TNI and local governments to strengthen the supervision of kiosks and distributors so that irregularities do not occur.

He said the volume of subsidized fertilizer in 2024 includes chemical and organic fertilizers for nine types of commodities such as rice, corn, soybeans, chilies, shallots, garlic, sugar cane for the people, coffee and cocoa.

Previously, the President Director of PT Pupuk Indonesia Rahmad Pribadi said that the total budget for fertilizer subsidies had increased to IDR 54 trillion for the 2024 allocation after the government determined an additional volume from 4.7 million tons to 9.5 million tons.

"After the government saw when Indonesia could self-sufficiency in food, how much fertilizer was allocated? It was allocated 9.5 million tons, then it was returned to 9.5 million tons. So this year the budget is IDR 54 trillion," said Rahmad in Jakarta, Monday, March 18.

Rahmad conveyed that the previous subsidized fertilizer budget reached IDR 26 trillion. The additional budget is to achieve the volume of fertilizer according to agricultural needs so that it can achieve food self-sufficiency such as 2017.