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