Agribusiness body to start

JAKARTA (JP): The newly formed Agribusiness Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture announced yesterday that it is ready to help formulate government policies and carry out research to develop agribusiness and improve farmers' livelihoods.

"We are ready to work in close cooperation with the other agencies of the ministry," the agency's chairman, Dudung Indradjit, said during a hearing with Commission IV of the House of Representatives (DPR).

Dudung said the formation of the agency was based on the Minister of Agriculture's Decree No. 96/Kpts/OT.210/2/1994 and Presidential Decree No. 83/1993.

Besides formulating government policies, the agribusiness agency is also responsible to assist the National Standardization Council in creating the required quality standards for agricultural commodities.

"We will specifically aim to give farmers more direct access to the market and increase their bargaining power," Dudung said.

The contribution of the agricultural sector to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) dropped from 49.3 percent in 1969 to 20.2 percent last fiscal year. (hdj)