Researcher Advises RI To Take ADVANTAGE Of Organic Puplications To Overcome Subsidized Restrictions

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - CORE Indonesia researcher Eliza Mardian advised the public to take advantage of the use of organic fertilizers as a substitute for subsidized inorganic fertilizers due to limited state ability to provide stimulus.

"Substitution of subsidized fertilizers can be done because Indonesia has resources that contain elements of nitrogen nutrients, phosphorus, and potassium to be processed into liquid and solid fertilizers," he said in a written statement, quoted from Antara, Friday, February 3.

Eliza assessed that organic fertilizers are good for nutrients and chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers can be combined so that they are optimal in fertilizing and cut dependence on subsidized fertilizers.

"To get to the use of organic fertilizer, the government needs to compile a roadmap and implementation strategy so as not to reduce farmers' income, when making a transition to organic fertilizer," he said.

According to him, fertilizer production needs to be applied with a labor division system within farmer groups and consider many aspects, starting from social, economic, and environmental aspects.

"Essentially, a comprehensive strategy design is needed. Farmers really need government assistance in providing affordable production facilities," he said.

Meanwhile, agricultural observer Tjipta Lesmana added that amid the increasingly difficult global economic situation, particularly the United States economy and China's economy as well as the Russian and Ukrainian wars, the reconstruction of fertilizer subsidies needs to be finalized.

Moreover, fertilizer subsidies still cause other problems, especially for the country's burden. Every year, subsidized receivables appear, aka government debt to fertilizer factories. This receivables arise because the price of subsidized fertilizers always increases due to rising raw material prices, rising fuel prices, inflation and others.

"Regarding the problem of fertilizer subsidies, the government must suppress it. One of them is by encouraging organic farming and reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers," he said.

The government's subsidy for fertilizers reaches an average of IDR 25.3 trillion per year, allocated for eight million tons of fertilizer. Meanwhile, the need for farmers reaches 24 million tons.