Jokowi Never Promises To Fire The Minister Of Agriculture If Soybean Self-Sufficiency Fails

President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo. (Photo: Doc. Setkab)

JAKARTA - The problem of soybeans is sticking out because of the strike action of tofu and tempe producers in various regions due to the swift imports of soybeans which have caused the price of these foodstuffs to increase significantly. The government's promises regarding soybean self-sufficiency have not been fulfilled.

Seeing the promise of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) several years ago, or during his period as head of state in 2014-2019, he made a promise to self-sufficiency in soybeans. At that time, the former Mayor of Solo was targeting Indonesia to be self-sufficient in food, especially for 3 types of agricultural products, namely rice, corn and soybeans within 3 years.

Soybeans are considered the most difficult, because of the high dependence on imports. President Jokowi even claims that he will fire the Minister of Agriculture if the self-sufficiency target cannot be realized.

"I have given the target of the Minister of Agriculture for three years, no more. Be careful, three years have not been self-sufficient, I will change the minister," said President Jokowi during a public lecture at the Gadjah Mada University Campus in Yogyakarta at the end of 2014.

In the general lecture, Jokowi also emphasized that the target of self-sufficiency was minimal, specifically concentrated in 11 provinces. At that time, the former governor of DKI Jakarta also targeted the construction of 30 dams to maximize irrigation for agricultural land.

"The funding is estimated to spend Rp. 24 trillion, which will be taken from the diversion of subsidized fuel subsidies. If self-sufficiency is realized, it can strengthen the export sector (agriculture)," he said.

Jokowi also emphasized that he strongly disagrees with food imports. According to him, excessive imports of various food commodities need to be avoided because it will make farmers lose money.

As reported, the production strike carried out by tofu and tempe craftsmen in the Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang, Depok and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) regions has been going on since Thursday 31 December 2020. The action was triggered by an increase in soybean prices.

Head of the Indonesian Tofu Craftsmen's Sedulur Law Division (SPTI) Fajri Safii in a written statement on Saturday, January 2, said that the production strike had to be carried out considering the soybean price had risen by 35 percent.

According to him, currently the soybean price hike has reached the range of Rp. 9,000 to Rp. 10,000. Meanwhile, the price of soybeans last month, he said, was only in the range of IDR 7,000 to IDR 7,500.