Academic institutions told to help farmers

Academic institutions told to help farmers

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto asked higher learning institutions yesterday to help farmers increase the quality and quantity of their production to give them a competitive edge on the global market.

"There is no reason why we cannot do it," he said after inaugurating a new campus at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) in Dermaga, about 30 kilometers south of here.

Indonesia needs to cut down on the importation of numerous agricultural products which are, the President said, exhausting foreign exchange.

According to Soeharto, Indonesia, which is blessed with abundant natural resources, should be self-reliant in commodities that are still largely imported.

"We have to go back to the drawing board," he said in the ceremony which was attended by senior government officials and academics.

Indonesia has been self-reliant in rice since 1984. But lately the government has had to import rice largely due to prolonged dry seasons.

President Soeharto said that Indonesia should modernize its agricultural facilities to boost production.

Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro said Indonesia has a total of 156 schools of agriculture in both private and state colleges.

State universities have a total of 56 schools of agriculture, which produce about 8,000 graduates every year, while the 100 private colleges graduate an estimated 5,000 agriculture graduates each year.

The one to eight ratio of lecturer to students in the schools is one of the better ones compared to other university schools. In other fields of studies, he said, the proportion is one to 12.

IPB rector Sitanala Arsyad said that the new campus was built with financial assistance from Japan. The more than Rp 80 billion (US$35 million) project started in 1984. (pan)