Hundreds Of Farmers Demand Government Promise Regarding Procurement Of 30 Thousand Tons Of Feed Corn

A mass of students and farmers held a peaceful demonstration in front of the Japfa Comfeed Indonesia Office, MT Haryono, South Jakarta, Monday 11 October (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Hundreds of farmers from Blitar, East Java and Kendal, Central Java, have demanded the government's promise to procure 30,000 tons of fodder corn to stabilize commodity prices. Breeders from Blitar, Rofi Yasifun, who took part in the peaceful protest on Monday, said via his cell phone that the farmers who supported by the Student Executive Board (BEM) from four universities, the demands were submitted at a number of locations for the peaceful demonstration. The peaceful demonstration was carried out in front of the IRTI Monas Square, Ministry of Trade, MPR/DPR/DPD Complex, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Office , PT Japfa. According to Rofi, the realization of the 30,000 tons of feed corn has been slow. In fact, said Rofi, the procurement of feed corn was from an audience between President Joko Widodo and the farmers last September, but the realization has been slow. The Palace," said Rofi when confirmed in Jakarta, quoted by Antara, Monday, October 11. Rofi explained that farmers in Blitar received an allocation of 15 thousand tons from all procurement of feed corn, but the realization of feed corn supply for farmers has not yet reached 1,000 tons. "Feed corn contributes 50 percent of the total production costs of egg farmers," he said. According to Rofi, the abundant egg production and the fall in egg prices at the farmer level have forced farmers to lose up to IDR 9,000 per kg every day. Currently, the price of feed corn reached IDR 6,300 to IDR 6,800 per kg, from the previous IDR 4,500 per kg. Laying breeders in a number of areas have been losing money since July 2021. As previously reported, the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of SOEs have assigned Perum Bulog to supply 30,000 tons of feed corn to smallholder farmers at a price that is in line with the Government Reference Price (HAP) of IDR 4,500 per kg. .The procurement of feed corn for Rp.4,500 per kg to smallholder farmers is carried out by Bulog with the Food Price Stability Reserve (CSHP) mechanism. 2020 concerning Reference Purchase Prices at the Farmer Level and Reference Sales Prices at the Consumer Level.