Soybean output should rise: Minister<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah
\nasked private investors yesterday to help increase national
\nsoybean production to cut back imports which reached 600,000 tons
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin told a press conference that Indonesia would need
\nan additional 300,000 hectares of soybean plantations -- with a
\nproductivity of two tons per hectare -- to offset imports.<\/p>\n
Last year, domestic demand for soybean was 2.3 million tons
\nbut production was only 1.7 million tons, with a productivity of
\n1.1 tons per hectare.<\/p>\n
For the 1996\/1997 planting period, the area of soybean
\nplantations dropped by 27.08 percent to 294,159 hectares, from
\n403,380 hectares in the 1995\/1996 period.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin said that as an initial step, private corporations
\nwere expected to help open up 10,000 hectares of soybean
\nplantations.<\/p>\n
This was seen as a progressive step to reduce imports of this
\ncommodity, he said.<\/p>\n
\"President Soeharto has ordered the Ministry of Agriculture to
\nsupport the private sector in the development of soybean
\nplantations,\" Sjarifudin said.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that land for new large plantations was hardly
\navailable in Java.<\/p>\n
\"In addition, 10,000 hectares cannot be comprehensively done
\nin one area, but it is possible to accomplished in several areas
\neach with a size of 100 hectares,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin said the government would assist private companies
\nby providing information on proper cultivation areas, weather,
\nappropriate seeds with primary varieties, government
\nauthorization as well as training and technological know-how for
\nworkers.<\/p>\n
When asked about loans for soybean farmers and subsidies for
\nfertilizers, the minister said those issues were not under his
\nauthority.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin also said soybean cultivation in Indonesia
\nencountered many obstacles.<\/p>\n
The main obstacle in raising soybean production at present was
\nthat there were too few soybean high-yielding varieties
\navailable. Most of the existing soybean seeds were of low quality
\nwith slow harvesting tenure and low productivity, he said.<\/p>\n
According to Director General of Food Crops and Horticulture
\nAmrin Kahar, another problem was Indonesia's tropical climate
\nwhich was inappropriate for cultivating soybean. Subtropical
\nareas were more appropriate for soybean, he said.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin said soybean was also subject to many plant
\ndiseases which resulted in high costs for pesticide and
\ninsecticide.<\/p>\n
When farmers were asked to plant soybean, they had difficulty
\nin selling their produce due to the poor structure of the
\ndomestic market and the lack of assistance from the government.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, many soybean plantations are developed in soil
\nwith a low level of acidity. Hence, their productivity is very
\nlow -- 1.1 tons per hectare as compared to the normal
\nproductivity of two tons per hectare. (10)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soybean-output-should-rise-minister-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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