Farmers' future gloomy: Siswono

Farmers' future gloomy: Siswono

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: The fate of farmers will likely deteriorate due to their lack of interest in cultivating arable land as a result of the inappropriate agricultural development policies of the previous government, Siswono Yudohusodo, chairman of the Indonesian Farmers Association, said.

Siswono, a former transmigration minister, said that the farmers' bleak future was worsened by the Indonesian people's high dependence on agricultural produce from other countries.

He made the remarks at a workshop on Agricultural Politics and Agrarian Reform at Kapuas Palace Hotel in Pontianak.

The imposition of inappropriate agricultural development policies in the past has resulted in local commodities being unable to compete with imported commodities, Siswono said.

He also expressed concern over the government's reluctance to pay more attention to land ownership by farmers. He cited as an example that in several Asian countries, including Thailand and Japan, arable lands, especially those having high fertility, are protected by the government. -- Antara