Amran Limits Fertiliser and Seed Aid to a Maximum of 5 Hectares per Farmer, Here's Why

Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman has stressed that government assistance in the form of subsidised fertiliser and seeds is only intended for farmers with a specific land area. The government is limiting recipients of this aid to a maximum of 5 hectares per farmer, while those owning land above that threshold are categorised as entrepreneurs. Amran stated that this policy is being implemented to ensure state aid is precisely targeted and genuinely received by small to medium-scale farmers. “Yes, the land area is indeed limited by quota; above that, they are entrepreneurs. So the allocation is usually for 2 hectares up to a maximum of 5 hectares,” Amran said during a press conference at his office in Jakarta on Wednesday. He confirmed that every farmer receives fertiliser and seed assistance for a planting area of 2 to 5 hectares, applicable to all commodities. “Because 2 to 5 hectares is for one person. But if the planting area exceeds that, they are already considered entrepreneurs,” he explained. On a separate note, the Ministry of Agriculture is currently running a national plantation development programme through the provision of seeds for various strategic commodities. Amran said his ministry has just gathered all plantation seed providers from various regions across Indonesia. “Today we assembled all plantation nursery providers from across Indonesia, with a total target of 870,000 hectares nationwide. The commodities are coffee, cocoa, sugarcane, coconut, cashew, and nutmeg. These are strategic commodities with high global demand. This is perhaps the largest initiative in history, under the direction of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto,” he stated. The programme will be strictly overseen by various agencies, including the Food Task Force, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the National Police, and the Corruption Eradication Commission. Amran emphasised that supervision is crucial because the quality of the seeds will determine long-term plantation productivity. “Once again, we will oversee this together. The Food Task Force, TNI, Police, and KPK were present earlier. We ask that this be safeguarded, we will oversee it together because this is the future of our children and grandchildren,” Amran concluded.