JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo explained the reason the government subsidized urea and NPK fertilizers was because they were the nutrients that were considered the most important to increase plant productivity.
"Why should it be urea, because urea gives fertility. All knowledge says that. Why does the NPK take care of fruit. In total that's two," said Minister of Agriculture Syahrul during a working meeting with Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, September 21.
Minister of Agriculture Syahrul reiterated the government's policy of subsidizing two types of fertilizer, namely Urea and NPK from the previous five types, which are policies that have been formulated carefully and have been agreed upon by the DPR, both by Commission IV of the DPR RI and Panja Pupuk.
Previously, the subsidy fertilizer policy only for Urea and NPK types was contained in the Minister of Agriculture Regulation (Permentan) Number 10 of 2022 Permentan) Number 10 of 2022 concerning Procedures for Stipulation of Allocation and Highest Retail Price of Fertilizer Subsidized in the Agriculture Sector.
The Permentan also regulates commodities that received subsidized fertilizers, which previously contained 70 agricultural commodities, now there are only nine agricultural commodities. These nine agricultural commodities include rice, corn, soybeans, shallots, garlic, chili, cocoa, cane, and coffee. The commodities were chosen because they are basic and strategic commodities that have an impact on the inflation rate.
The Minister of Agriculture Regulation is a follow-up to the government based on the recommendations of the Panja Commission IV regarding subsidized fertilizers.
"The fertilizer problem is more or less not reduced, only in accordance with our agreement here and the results of the Ombudsman's evaluation, the results of the examination agency's evaluation, are effective from 69 types of commodities to nine types. That is the result of our agreement and not just the Ministry of Agriculture, Commission IV, there is a performance," said Minister of Agriculture Syahrul.
The Minister of Agriculture emphasized that his party would conduct more massive socialization to the farmers' communities regarding the new subsidized fertilizer policy.
"So once again, fertilizer is not lacking but adjusted according to existing interests. What is indeed our basic policy, which does not come out of the basic policy for food security, is all related to agriculture," said the Minister of Agriculture.
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