Agriculture minister appoints new top officials

Agriculture minister appoints new top officials

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Agriculture M. Prakosa replaced on
Monday almost all of key officials in the ministry and expanded
directorate generals from three to five as part the ministry's
restructuring program.

Speaking at the installation of the new officials, Prakoso
said that the change was essential to enable the minister to
better manage and supervise the country's farming activities.

"With this new management, we can streamline the agribusiness
development from the downstream to the upstream activities to
meet the future challenge", he said.

The old Directorate General of Food Crops and Horticulture,
previously headed by Chairil A. Rasahan, has been replaced by two
new directorates.

Prakosa appointed Syafiruddin Karama as the head of the new
Directorate General of Food Crops, and Sumarno as the head of new
Directorate General of Horticulture and Multifarious Plants.

The old agency of agribusiness, formerly headed by Ato
Suprapto, was also separated into two new directorates.

Ato was named as the new director general of farming
infrastructure, while Iskandar Andi Nuhung, formerly the head of
the ministry's business development and internal relations, was
appointed as the new director general of primary industry and
farm products marketing.

Prakosa also assigned Nelson P. Hutabarat to replace
Syarifuddin Karama as the ministry's secretary general, and
A.Hidayat Rahadian, formerly an inspector for food crops and
horticulture, replaced Suparman Sastrodimejo as the new inspector
general.

The director general of livestock products, Sofyan Sudardjat
was not replaced.

In the restructuring, Prakosa, former senior official at the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), also established an agency for
food resistance. The agency is headed by Achmad Suryana, formerly
head of the bureau for planning.(07)