Coordinating Minister Zulhas Sindir BRIN: Talking About Religious Moderation, Even Though We Need Padi Unggul Seeds

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan (photo: Antara)

Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs (Menko Pangan) Zulkifli Hasan said the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) did not focus on innovation in providing superior seeds in achieving food self-sufficiency.

Furthermore, he said that innovation in finding superior seeds was BRIN's job. This is because the agricultural sector cannot do research.

"If we talk about seeds, then he is now BRIN. Because agriculture is no longer allowed to do research or research. BRIN is sometimes said about religious moderation. Even though we need superior rice seeds," he said in Sarasehan 100 Indonesian economists, in Jakarta, Tuesday, December 3.

The man who is familiarly called Zulhas also highlighted the large number of agricultural experts in Indonesia. But unfortunately, he continued, this did not necessarily encourage the achievement of food self-sufficiency in Indonesia.

"So even though there are many experts, self-sufficiency is still complicated," he said.

Not only seeds, said Zulhas, another problem that also needs to be addressed is fertilizer. He said the government had simplified the distribution flow of fertilizers from the previous one which was quite long and complicated.

Previously, the procurement of fertilizers involved many administrative stages such as the regional head's decree (SK). Now, the dialogue is shorter than the Ministry of Agriculture assigning PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero) and then channeled to a combination of farmer groups (gapoktan).

We have only finished one month. It was a complicated fertilizer, so it's finished. I communicated three times, it's finished. We cut it," he said.

In addition, Zulhas highlighted the problem of irrigation in irregular areas. In fact, he said the irrigation area also continued to decrease.

"This Irrigation (the problem) is not chaotic. The land continues to decrease and so on," he said.

Zulhas said that so far the improvement of regional agricultural irrigation has been handed over to local governments for a length ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 hectares (ha). However, Zulhas assessed that many local governments actually do not care about improving irrigation. As a result, agriculture was abandoned.

"If it reaches 2,000-3,000 hectares, that's the governor's business. Well, the governor doesn't take care of irrigation. Because there are many other problems such as damaged roads. So it's abandoned," he said.

Therefore, he said he would prepare regulations so that the central government could work on improving agricultural irrigation in the regions.

"I just finished this, the center can build irrigation for 1,000 to 3,000 hectares, it's finished. The Presidential Decree is finished, it's neat. Maybe one, two weeks this can be signed," he explained.