Responding To Farmers' Complaints, Jokowi Promises To Add Fertilizer Subsidy Amid Scarcity

President Joko Widodo reviewed rice planting and absorbed the aspirations of farmers in Kesesi District, Pekalongan Regency, Central Java, on Wednesday (13/12/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Biro Press of the Secretariat of the President of the Republic of Indonesia)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) promised to add fertilizer subsidies, in order to answer farmers' complaints about the scarcity of fertilizer they experienced.

According to Jokowi, the issue of fertilizer will soon be resolved by the Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman and next year it will continue to be controlled so that there are no problems in distribution in the field.

"I will add more subsidies for fertilizers, because there is also a supply of fertilizer," said the President when delivering a speech to agricultural instructors and babinsa throughout Central Java, in Pekalongan, Wednesday.

However, he admitted that he could not announce the additional amount of fertilizer subsidies because it needed to be discussed further with the Minister of Finance and must be approved by the DPR RI.

Furthermore, Jokowi explained that the government had simplified procedures for farmers who needed subsidized fertilizers.

If previously farmers had to show Farmers Cards to be able to obtain subsidized fertilizers, currently in certain areas farmers only need to show their ID cards to get subsidized fertilizers.

"I have agreed to purchase the fertilizer from the ID card, there is an inscription 'farm', please use it (to get subsidized fertilizer). So you can use a Farmer's Card and you can also use an ID card," he said.

The government's focus on dealing with this fertilizer issue is considered important in order to increase food production in Indonesia.

"If later the production is abundant, this must be for the farmers to be happy," said Jokowi.

In addition to increasing production, the expansion of subsidized fertilizer access for farmers is expected to reduce the impact of the El Nino phenomenon which leads to imports of agricultural products.

"Well, in the future, how can we suppress imports next year, because now our imports are 3.5 million (rice) can rise again, if we don't press it from now on," said Minister of Agriculture Amran, early last December.

In addition, he also asked the farmers to speed up planting so that Indonesia would rise again by laying a strong foundation to realize self-sufficiency.