Farmers and liberalization

Farmers and liberalization

From Pikiran Rakyat

The problem of small farmers in this country is a vicious
circle. Agricultural development in terms of production increase
is satisfactory. But this does not mean the farmers' prosperity
increases.

Indonesian farmers will not be able to do much in facing the
new era of liberalization in the Asia Pacific region. For
example, how can Indonesia compete with the Philippines or
Thailand whose products, such as papaya, might flood the
Indonesian market?

To change the status from traditional farmers to modern
farmers, the farmers must have courage, clear-cut trade concepts,
managerial know-how, and must be have sufficient financial
resources. In this case the government can play a positive role
by letting the farmers determine for themselves what to do, and
investigate the market's demand. To be able to compete in the era
of liberalization the farmers must manage their businesses in a
modern and professional way.

SAHWAN

Ciamis, West Java