Pak Mentan Syahrul, Said The Entrepreneur Of Soybeans, The Price Of Soybeans In The Field Is Still Expensive

Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Syahrul Yasin Limpo. (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Association of Tempe and Tofu Cooperatives (Gakoptindo) revealed that the low-cost soybean market operation which was launched with the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) and the Indonesian Soybean Association (Akindo) did not go according to plan in the field.

Chairman of Gakoptindo, Aip Syarifuddin said the decision to operate this market initially gave the producers and craftsmen of tempe and tofu fresh air. This is because they can get soybeans at a price of IDR 8,500 per kilogram (kg).

The price set by the Ministry of Agriculture, which is IDR 8,500 per kg, is quite cheap. This is because the average price of soybeans is currently above Rp. 9,000 per kg.

"We are very happy. However, it turns out that in practice the decision by the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) in the field is not appropriate," he said at the General Hearing Meeting (RPDU) with Commission IV of the DPR, Wednesday, January 20.

Of the total number of soybean importers, only two companies are carrying out market operations. Aip said the companies were PT FKS Multi Agro and PT GCU. The market operation quota that must be issued by the two companies is 200 thousand tons.

On the same occasion, the deputy chairman of Gakoptindo, Sutaryo said, there had been problems since the market operation agreement was planned. He said, the party that should collect and facilitate the meeting should be the Ministry of Trade, not the Ministry of Agriculture.

As is known, the meeting between craftsmen and importers was held on January 5, 2020 at the Head Office of the Ministry of Agriculture.

"Then (the market operation decision) is only in line with the government's wishes through the Ministry of Agriculture. It has not been accepted by the importers (but has been) exposed," he said.

When the market operation plan was discussed, said Sutaryo, Gakoptindo representatives were outside the meeting room. Meanwhile the importers had a meeting with meeting leaders from the Ministry of Agriculture.

According to him, at that time the importers did not object to the Ministry of Agriculture's wishes. Finally, it was decided that the allocation of soybean market operations was 12.5 percent of the realization of imports in 2020 or as much as 317 thousand tons.

"As soon as the meeting on January 5, January 7 was exposed by the minister (of agriculture). I gathered with the importers (asked) whether they were ready or not? Apparently not ready. How come they weren't ready to be exposed?" he said.

Sutaryo regretted that the process of discussing market operations was not discussed in depth. As a result, tofu and tempe craftsmen from various regions have contacted Gakoptindo to get cheap soybeans.

"We can't because the one who owns the goods is the importer. In fact, once allocated by the Ministry of Agriculture, the goods do not exist," he said.