Directly In The Face Of Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, The Merauke Papua Farmers Group Complained About The Mahalh Of BBM-Pupuk Prices

Farmers submitted a number of complaints to Vice President Ma'ruf Amin in Semangga Jaya village, Semangga District, Merauke/ANTARA

PAPUA - A number of farmers in farmer groups in Merauke, South Papua, complained about the high price of fuel oil (BBM) and fertilizers to Vice President Ma'ruf Amin. Regarding the farmer's complaint, Vice President Ma'ruf said that subsidies, both for fuel and fertilizers, have always been the concern of the central government, but control still needs to be carried out so that they are on target. "The government recognizes that there are many subsidized fertilizers that are not on target, so the government has calculated which ones should be subsidized, which ones should not, the government is controlling so that subsidized fertilizers are right on target," said Vice President Ma'ruf Amin in Semangga Jaya village, Semangga district, Merauke, South Papua, Antara, Wednesday, November 30. It is known that in 2015 President Jokowi had directed ministers and related institutions to prepare 10 thousand hectares of rice fields nationally in Merauke Regency as the first step in the implementation of the 1 million hectare land program. "There will be control and the area of land that must be subsidized and which are non-subsidized, so not all are subsidized. This subsidy issue continues to be discussed at cabinet meetings, this shows subsidies, including fertilizer subsidies are important," said the Vice President. Ma'ruf also responded to proposals for special gas stations for farmers, such as special gas stations for fishermen. As for the proposed increase in the Highest Retail Price (HET) of milled dry grains, according to the Vice President, it is still difficult to increase. "The retail price has a lot of components and is related to efforts to control prices. Indeed, for this rice (HET) it is difficult to increase it because if the price increases it can result in inflation but if it is not increased it can harm farmers, so the government looks for it from the other side so that the production costs are not high, I ask the Governor to try not to inflation but also not to harm farmers," added the Vice President. The chairman of the Tani Group Association (Gapoktan) of Tanahpin Merauke Regency, Aceng, in the discussion revealed that farmers in Merauke did not feel the price of subsidized fuel. "We seem untouched, which is called a subsidized fuel program because here our agricultural system is all machined, to process soil, pump and harvest, we use machines and need fuel. We use subsidized fuel but feel non-subsidized, we are jealous of fishermen who have gas stations specifically for fishermen, so we also propose to have gas stations specifically for farmers," said Aceng. Meanwhile, the Head of contact with Tani and the Andalan Fisherman (KTNA) Merauke Regency, Sukarmin, said that the current rice production costs are very high, so they are not balanced with the harvest. "We ask that the HET (highest retail price) of rice be increased, please subsidize its heritage and fungitive pesticides," said Sukarmin hoped. Other farmers also asked the government to increase the supply of NPK fertilizer from 15 thousand tons to 41 thousand tons in Merauke district. "I appreciate Merauke district in South Papua for its attention because currently 1.2 million hectares of land produce 5-6 million tons of rice but can still be increased because there are other areas whose results can reach 7-8 million tons. Try later the agriculture service will provide education and provide training so that there will be an increase in results," said the Vice President. He also invited farmers to maintain productivity as well as nature so as not to be damaged. "I will ask the Minister of Home Affairs, Bappenas, the minister of finance and also the minister of agriculture to come here to give what must be given here. Thank you, good job, good luck," said the vice president.