Minister Of Agriculture Syahrul Limpo Wants Imports Not To Be Done During Farmers' Harvest

Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo (Photo Via ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Syahrul Yasin Limpo hopes that food imports will not be carried out when domestic farmers are harvesting in order to keep prices from falling.

"Imports are not illegal, but don't let imports come in at harvest time, the price will be crushed," said Minister of Agriculture Syahrul in Jakarta, Antara, Friday, April 8.

Syahrul stated that international commodity and food prices are currently rising high. The central government cannot work alone, but needs support from local governments.

"This country must be strong in facing challenges. The war in Ukraine-Russia makes all prices change, oil rises and so on. Soon, if we don't all go down, there will be no togetherness, more panic, more damage," said Syahrul.

The Minister of Agriculture also invited business actors in the agricultural and food sectors not only to think about seeking as much profit as possible, but also to help the government to provide affordable food for the benefit of the nation.

"Don't even think about trade at a time like this. We hope that apart from trading, there is also a sense of nationalism and strong empathy," said the Minister of Agriculture.

Minister of Agriculture Syahrul appreciated the steps taken by the Indonesian Soybean Association (AKINDO) and PT Fisindo Kusuma Sejahtera (FKS) Multi Agro to supply soybeans to tofu and tempeh craftsmen to ensure food availability during the month of Ramadan until Eid al-Fitr.

The distribution of soybeans was carried out at 11 locations at the same time with a total amount of 135 tons of soybeans, namely in DKI Jakarta, Depok, Bekasi, Bogor, Tangerang, Garut, Pamanukan, Subang, Ciamis, Tasikmalaya and Banjar.

Minister Syahrul said the collaboration with AKINDO and PT Fisindo Kusuma Sejahtera Multi Agro was to facilitate the distribution of soybean stock to tofu and tempeh craftsmen at a price lower than the market price.

The Minister of Agriculture ensures that the availability of 12 staple foods is safe until Eid al-Fitr. He stated that his party would intervene in any increase in food prices due to depleting stocks in one area by sending food from other areas that had a surplus or food production centers.

The Minister of Agriculture also explained that his party continues to coordinate with the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Industry to maintain food availability and price stability in the community.