Expert welcomes government's agriculture policy change
Expert welcomes government's agriculture policy change
JAKARTA (JP): Agricultural expert H.S. Dillon welcomed
President Abdurrahman Wahid's decision to put forestry,
plantations and agriculture under one ministry, saying the merger
would improve the management of Indonesia's agricultural and
forest resources.
"Until now the government's policies have been segregated,
which (in the end) sacrificed our natural resources," he said
during a break in a seminar on Saturday.
Dillon, the executive director of the Center for Agricultural
Policy Studies, said the new minister of agriculture and forestry
would have to create an integrated policy that could both exploit
and protect Indonesia's forests.
In conserving forests, it is important the people can also
benefit from the conservation process, he said. "We cannot expect
people to join a conservation program if they get nothing out of
it," said Dillon, who was a member of the now defunct National
Economic Council.
On the flip side, the exploitation of forest areas should be
managed in such a way that the resources are renewable rather
than simply being laid to waste, he said.
"If forestry, plantations and agriculture weren't merged, (the
exploitation of natural resources) could not be controlled
properly," Dillon said, adding that the devastation of forests in
Java was the result of years of segregated policies.
During the Soeharto era, forestry and agriculture were under
two separate ministries, with farming, plantations and fisheries
under the Ministry of Agriculture.
Former president B.J. Habibie put plantations under the
supervision of the Ministry of Forestry. In the Cabinet announced
last week, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of
Forestry and Plantations were merged into one ministry, with
Bungaran Saragih, an agriculture expert, being named its
minister.
Dillon said the first thing Bungaran should concentrate on was
having his directors become the partners of farmers rather than
acting as their masters.
"If Bungaran can manage that, they (the directors) will be the
ones fighting for the fate of the farmers," he said.
The appointment of Bungaran, a professor of agribusiness,
reflects the President's desire to advance the agroindustry
sector, Dillon said.
He said Abdurrahman's orientation was toward the export market
and raising foreign exchange to pay the country's debts, not
empowering farmers.
"The global market can only be mastered by increasing
competitiveness, especially of the small farmers," Dillon said.
(10)
JAKARTA (JP): Agricultural expert H.S. Dillon welcomed
President Abdurrahman Wahid's decision to put forestry,
plantations and agriculture under one ministry, saying the merger
would improve the management of Indonesia's agricultural and
forest resources.
"Until now the government's policies have been segregated,
which (in the end) sacrificed our natural resources," he said
during a break in a seminar on Saturday.
Dillon, the executive director of the Center for Agricultural
Policy Studies, said the new minister of agriculture and forestry
would have to create an integrated policy that could both exploit
and protect Indonesia's forests.
In conserving forests, it is important the people can also
benefit from the conservation process, he said. "We cannot expect
people to join a conservation program if they get nothing out of
it," said Dillon, who was a member of the now defunct National
Economic Council.
On the flip side, the exploitation of forest areas should be
managed in such a way that the resources are renewable rather
than simply being laid to waste, he said.
"If forestry, plantations and agriculture weren't merged, (the
exploitation of natural resources) could not be controlled
properly," Dillon said, adding that the devastation of forests in
Java was the result of years of segregated policies.
During the Soeharto era, forestry and agriculture were under
two separate ministries, with farming, plantations and fisheries
under the Ministry of Agriculture.
Former president B.J. Habibie put plantations under the
supervision of the Ministry of Forestry. In the Cabinet announced
last week, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of
Forestry and Plantations were merged into one ministry, with
Bungaran Saragih, an agriculture expert, being named its
minister.
Dillon said the first thing Bungaran should concentrate on was
having his directors become the partners of farmers rather than
acting as their masters.
"If Bungaran can manage that, they (the directors) will be the
ones fighting for the fate of the farmers," he said.
The appointment of Bungaran, a professor of agribusiness,
reflects the President's desire to advance the agroindustry
sector, Dillon said.
He said Abdurrahman's orientation was toward the export market
and raising foreign exchange to pay the country's debts, not
empowering farmers.
"The global market can only be mastered by increasing
competitiveness, especially of the small farmers," Dillon said.
(10)