'Destroying perfectly good food is wasteful'

To protect farmers and the sugar industry the government has taken a firm stance on the disposal of smuggled sugar. The government has declared that the sugar will be destroyed and not auctioned off, in the hope that smugglers will learn their lesson. The Jakarta Post asked a few residents what they thought about the destruction of the sugar, which is one of the country's nine chief commodities.

Irene Pakpahan, 43, is a housewife. She lives with her family in Pondok Labu area, South Jakarta:

I know the government is trying to stop smuggling by dumping the sugar in the sea. But, surely it could have come up with a better solution; one which would teach the smugglers a lesson or two.

For example, the government could distribute the sugar among the poor. That way businesspeople and smugglers wouldn't profit from the criminal activity.

At the same time, people would respect the government for finding a solution that would also benefit the needy.

Candrian Attahiyat, 45, is an official of the Jakarta Culture and Museum Agency. His office is situated on Jl. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta:

The government has its reasons, it says by destroying the sugar it is protecting local producers. As an ordinary citizen, my response is not positive as there are so many poor people who could use it.

During the New Order era, a similar incident occurred. Orange farmers in Kalimantan destroyed their fruit as they could not get a high enough price for it. The market was flooded with imported oranges.

Clove farmers in Sulawesi also protested in a similar way after a sharp decline in the price of cloves.

Perhaps, this is the only way that farmers can get their point across. However, for most people, destroying perfectly good food just seems wasteful.

--The Jakarta Post