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The old Directorate General of Food Crops and Horticulture, previously headed by Chairil A. Rasahan, has been replaced by two new directorates.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