Improving The Welfare Of The Gorontalo Community, The Government Encourages Productivity From Leading Commodities

Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Airlangga Hartarto. (Photo: Doc. Coordinating Ministry for the Economy)

JAKARTA - The agricultural sector is one of the economic sectors that continues to show positive performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second quarter of 2021, the agricultural sector recorded growth of 0.38 percent.

Of the various agricultural commodities that continue to be developed, corn is one of the leading commodities that contributes greatly to improving the welfare of farmers and encouraging industrial growth, especially poultry farming.

In the past 10 years, the development of corn commodities, especially in Gorontalo Province, has experienced a very significant increase. Corn production, which was originally only 605.781 tons, has now reached 1.8 million tons, an increase of around 300 percent.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto during a working visit to Gorontalo Province, Thursday, September 30, released an inter-island shipment of 23,000 tons of corn.

"The release of 23,000 tons of corn that we are doing today is a synergy of various stakeholders which can spur the enthusiasm of other agricultural commodity business actors, both in Gorontalo Province and in Indonesia to continue to work hand in hand in developing the agricultural sector," said Airlangga in Jakarta. Tilamuta port, Boalemo Regency, Gorontalo Province.

This corn delivery activity can provide benefits for local farmers, because it is able to improve corn prices at the farm level. At the time of the main harvest, the price of corn tends to fall to reach Rp. 2,900/kg. However, with the delivery outside Gorontalo, the purchase price of corn currently reaches Rp.4,800/kg to Rp.5,300/kg.

As for the period from April to September 2021, inter-island corn shipments have been carried out to meet the national corn demand as much as 198 times with a total volume of 1,002,366 tons.

The corn release event by Coordinating Minister Airlangga was marked by the breaking of a jug into the hull of the Hodasco 19, which is one of three ships that will simultaneously send corn from Gorontalo to several destinations. Deliveries are made to 6,500 tons for Jakarta, 10,000 tons for Surabaya, and 6,500 tons for Makassar.

After carrying out the corn release event, Coordinating Minister Airlangga visited the vaccination center organized by Kodim 1313/Pohuwato. In the activity entitled "COVID-19 Vaccine Incursion to All Communities in the Koramil Area 1313-08 Dulupi", vaccination was carried out on 271 residents of Pangi Village, Dulupi District, Boalemo Regency. In addition, Coordinating Minister Airlangga also had the opportunity to hand over rice aid to residents.

After visiting the vaccination center, Coordinating Minister Airlangga then continued his trip to Dulupi Village to do a corn harvest with the community.

"With high prices, farmers' welfare increases and this is what we support because the government is pro to agriculture. We encourage people to plant corn, and for that a People's Business Credit (KUR) will be made to plant corn. Can be paid at harvest, interest is cheap at 3 percent , and if the harvest fails, there is insurance. So we encourage the community to produce as much corn as possible," concluded Coordinating Minister Airlangga.

Coordinating Minister Airlangga on that occasion also symbolically handed over KUR to corn farmers. By utilizing the KUR provided, it is hoped that it can encourage capital for the community in managing agriculture.

Also attending the event were the Governor of Gorontalo, Members of the Indonesian House of Representatives, the Deputy for Coordination of the Digital Economy, Employment, and MSMEs at the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy, the Deputy for Food and Agribusiness Coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy, and the Forkopimda of Gorontalo Province.