Cooperatives help potato farmers

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Cooperatives Council (Dekopin), in cooperation with the Canadian Cooperatives Association, will help potato farmers improve their management in production, distribution, financing and marketing, an executive said.

Dekopin's director for business networks, M.C. Baridjambek, said yesterday that the council will set up a network for potato farmers to face more sophisticated markets, such as those of the food industry and supermarket chains.

"We are still in negotiations with the biggest cooperative of Singapore and Hero supermarket chain to supply potatoes for them," he told reporters.

He said that the possibility of supplying potatoes to Indonesia's biggest producer of food stuffs, PT Indofood of the Salim Group, which needs about 25 tons of potatoes a day, is still open.

Baridjambek said that the council will seek financial cooperation with foreign organizations, such as the Central Cooperative of Denmark and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

He said Indonesia exported 76,876 tons of potatoes worth more than US$10 million in 1993 to Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.

The program manager of the Canadian Cooperatives Association, James W. Lowe, said that his organization will provide financial and technical assistance to Dekopin.

"We have many experts on potato development, who are ready to help Indonesian cooperatives," he said.(04)