Five regents awarded for farming policies

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As part of its campaign to support farmers and the agriculture sector, the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) conferred on Wednesday special awards to five regents for their pro-farmer policies.

Regents H. Djasari of Banjarnegara, Central Java, Idham Samawi of Bantul, Yogyakarta, Wasidi Swastomo of Cianjur, West Java, Masfuk of Lamongan, East Java, and Burhanuddin Rasjid of Sambas, West Kalimantan, received the agricultural award.

"They were chosen because they are the favorites of the people (in their regencies), and were nominated independently by the people," Suara Darmaga coordinator Hermanu Triwidodo was quoted by Antara as saying on Wednesday.

Suara Darmaga, a research center under the IPB, conducted a national survey to determine the most deserving recipients of the award.

No details were provided on the policies enacted by the five regents.

Hermanu said several organizations helped in the selection, including the Indonesian Pest Control Association, the Bio-access Indonesian Community in Yogyakarta, the IPB alumni organization, the Society of Coconut Oil Lovers and the Indonesian Organic Farmers Association, as well as several regional autonomy observers.

IPB rector Ahmad Ansori Matjik said the award followed the institute's aims to promote an agriculture-based economy.

Ahmad added that the people needed to be able to manage natural resources, especially in the agriculture sector.

"We import so many agricultural products, even though we have vast resources," he said.

Natural resource management, he said, was essential because the Asian Free Trade Area (AFTA) could leave developing countries behind in regional competitiveness.

He added that the government, educational institutions and the industry had important roles in developing the agriculture sector.

"The government must support farmers and institutions that produce new technology and qualified human resources, while the industry must act as an investor and apply the technology developed by those institutions," he said.