The Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, who is also the Chairman\nof the National Mandate Party (PAN), stated that setting the price of\nunhusked rice at IDR 6,500 per kilogram is a form of government support\nfor farmers to improve their welfare and national food production.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor 30 years of reform, we have not been able to achieve rice\nself-sufficiency. This is because our policy has been based on a free\nmarket. The focus has been on figures, not on empathy or support,\u201d he\nsaid after inaugurating the PAN\u2019s Regional Management Council (DPW) and\nBranch Management Council (DPD) in Kupang, NTT, on Friday (May 15)\nafternoon.<\/p>\n
The event was also attended by the Minister of Village and\nTransmigration Development, who is also the Deputy Chairman of PAN,\nYandri Susanto, PAN Secretary General Eko Hendro Purnomo, and a number\nof PAN faction members in the DPR RI, namely Sigit Purnomo Syamsuddin\nSaid and Verrell Bramasta, as well as the Governor of NTT Emanuel\nMelkiades Laka Lena, Deputy Governor of NTT Johni Asadoma, and Chairman\nof the NTT DPRD Emilia Nomleni.<\/p>\n
According to him, for decades, food policies have focused more on\nmacroeconomic figures than on supporting farmers. Therefore, the\ngovernment is now taking steps to increase the price of unhusked rice to\nIDR 6,500 per kilogram without conditions that burden farmers. \u201cAs soon\nas farmers harvest the rice, they will be paid IDR 6,500, no less. That\nis what it means to support them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said that the policy has a direct impact on increasing rice\nproduction by up to three percent. In addition, the government has also\nstreamlined the bureaucracy in the distribution of fertilizers, which\nwas previously considered too long. \u201cThere used to be 145 regulations.\nWe have reduced it, so that fertilizer goes directly from the factory to\nfarmers. From 145 regulations, it is now only three,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In addition, there are now easier distribution channels for\nfertilizers, which has increased the availability of fertilizers and\nincreased national rice production by up to eight percent. \u201cIn 2024, we\nimported 4.5 million tons of rice. In 2025, imports will be zero, and\nour rice stocks will be more than 4.2 million tons,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
Zulkifli also highlighted the plight of fishermen who often suffer\nlosses when their catches are abundant but fish prices fall. \u201cOne bucket\nof fish costs IDR 20,000 to IDR 25,000. Fishermen bring fish from the\nsea using fuel and energy, but when they arrive on land, the price is\nlow. If they don\u2019t sell it, the fish will rot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he added, the government is encouraging the development of\nfishing villages complete with cold storage facilities, auction venues,\nand village cooperatives so that fishermen\u2019s catches can be absorbed\nwell. \u201cLater, the village cooperative will buy the fishermen\u2019s catch so\nthat they do not suffer losses,\u201d said Zulhas.<\/p>\n
The Chairman of the PAN NTT DPW, Ahmad Yohan, said that the presence\nof the Chairman of PAN in NTT was a source of pride for all PAN cadres\nin the region. \u201cThe DPW has been appointed several times, but it has\nnever been inaugurated. Today, we are proud that the Chairman is present\nin NTT to inaugurate the DPW and all of the PAN DPD in NTT,\u201d said Ahmad\nYohan when delivering his speech.<\/p>\n
According to Ahmad Yohan, PAN NTT continues to encourage various\ndevelopment programs for the community, including the salt, shrimp, and\nfisheries sectors in several areas of NTT. He mentioned that a shrimp\nindustry project worth IDR 7.8 trillion will be built in Sumba, and the\ninitial phase of IDR 2.8 trillion has been signed. In addition, a\nfisheries development program is also planned in Kupang Regency, West\nManggarai, Alor, Ende, and East Flores. \u201cWe continue to work to help the\npeople as directed by the chairman,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He also expressed his appreciation to the Minister of Village and\nTransmigration Development, who is said to be encouraging many thematic\nvillage programs and the development of underdeveloped villages in NTT.\n\u201cThis is not a party interest, but the interest of East Nusa Tenggara\nthat we love,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Governor of NTT, Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, asked\nall PAN cadres to fully support the programs of the government of\nPresident Prabowo Subianto in NTT. This is because the difficult\ngeographical conditions of NTT require the hard work of all parties to\nbuild the region. \u201cPolitics is essentially a daily job that is not far\nfrom the people. NTT needs politicians who work with their hearts,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Melkiades also said that NTT\u2019s agricultural production has increased\nby up to 35 percent this year thanks to the support of the central\ngovernment in the food and agricultural sectors. Currently, the NTT\nProvincial Government is encouraging the downstreaming of local products\nthrough the concept of \u201cplant, harvest, process, package, then sell\u201d so\nthat the economic value remains in NTT. \u201cWe want the community\u2019s\nproduction to no longer be sold raw, but processed so that the economic\nvalue remains in NTT,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n
The price of unhusked rice ranges from IDR 7,200 per kilogram for the\nkebo variety, while for the Ciherang variety and similar varieties, the\nprice is in the range of IDR 7,500 to IDR 7,800 per kilogram. On Friday\nand Saturday (April 11), the price of harvested unhusked rice in the\ncoastal area of the Strait of Malacca began to rise again to IDR 7,200\nper kg. On Tuesday and Wednesday (April 8), in Pidie Regency, for\nexample, the price of harvested unhusked rice ranged from IDR 7,000-IDR\n7,100\/kg, cheaper than about two weeks ago when it reached IDR 7,400\/kg.\nThe unhusked rice is still bought at the Government Purchase Price (HPP)\nof IDR 6,500 per kilogram even though the quality has decreased due to\nbeing submerged in mud. The increase in the price of unhusked rice did\nnot discourage middlemen from making purchases.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-sets-rice-price-at-idr-6-500-to-support-farmers-1780587204", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }