More attention for agriculture

More attention for agriculture

From Republika

In the 1970s and 1980s Indonesia was known as a successful
agrarian country with Karawang regency and some other places in
Central and East Java being the country's largest rice-producing
areas. In these two decades Indonesia was self-sufficient in
rice.

It is strange, however, that today many rice fields in
Karawang, Tangerang and Cianjur, for example, have been
converted into shopping centers, office buildings and housing
complexes. As a result, the country's rice production has gone
down so considerably that many farmers have to eke out a meager
existence.

Megawati Soekarnoputri and her Cabinet must pay serious
attention to this matter because agriculture is a way of life for
the small people, in general. Unless this problem is properly
addressed, Megawati cannot hope to win in the upcoming 2004
general election.

VALERY SETIAWAN, Bengkulu