Organic farming could have healthy future in RI

Zakki P. Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

When a neighboring poultry farm complained that water from her farm had killed its chickens, Entik Kusnadi learned that the accumulation of pesticides, chemical fertilizers and other substances she used on her cabbages had polluted the water used for the chickens.

"If this kind of farming could kill chickens, it could surely do the same to humans," Entik told The Jakarta Post recently.

Since then, she has used organic farming methods to grow carrots, tomatoes, spinach, chilies, cabbages and avocados.

Although many people still think organic commodities are more expensive, Entik believes organic farming is a promising business as more and more people realize the importance of organic food for their health and the health of the environment.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, there are at least 15 million potential customers for organic commodities among Indonesia's population of 220 million.

However, the head of the ministry's Authority for Organic Food Competency, Syukur Iwantoro, said the market was currently dominated by foreign players.

"The problems are in public awareness and product standardization," he said recently.

He said many farms and plantations in the country already met the requirements of organic farming operations simply by following the farming methods passed down to them by their ancestors.

There is no universally accepted definition of organic farming, but in general it is regarded as a production system that avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives.

To the maximum extent feasible, organic farming systems rely on crop rotation, crop residues, animal manure, legumes, green manure, off-farm organic wastes, mechanical cultivation, mineral bearing rocks and aspects or biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and tilth, to supply plant nutrients and to control weeds, insects and other pests.

Syukur used gayo coffee and cashew nut plantations in the country as an example of operations that unknowingly implemented the methods of organic farming.

"There are many other commodities in the country that are cultivated using organic farming methods without the farmers realizing it," he said. "Now we are here to open their eyes, before the foreigners do."

Because organic commodities are perceived as expensive, many farmers and big plantations, upon realizing the potential of organic farming, seek international recognition through formal accreditation from foreign agencies.

This recognition will enable them to export to major world markets such as the U.S., Canada and the European Union, as well as smaller but promising markets like Australia and New Zealand.

To gain international recognition, an organic farmer must pay up to Rp 250 million (US$28,000), which remains beyond the reach of most farmers in the country.

Last month, the Ministry of Agriculture made state surveyor firm PT Sucofindo the country's first accreditation agency for organic products. The company says it charges farmers far lower fees than international companies, but declined to state a figure.

Syukur said the ministry would boost Sucofindo's competency by cooperating with international certification agencies, raising the firm's recognition with both domestic farmers and the global market.

In the long term, the ministry hopes to benefit from the world's $23 billion organic commodities market.

But Entik said Sucofindo certification would cost her up to Rp 60 million, a sum she considers to be still too expensive.

In the meantime, she will concentrate on distributing her products in the domestic market rather than exporting them.

She has found happiness in growing and distributing organic food to people seeking a healthier way of life.

On her expanded one hectare of land, compared to 2,000 square meters when she first started with her husband, she also has developed a healthy "industrial" relationship with her farm workers.

With conventional farming, commodity prices fluctuate based on several factors, such as the price of fertilizers, which can yo- yo depending on government subsidies.

The market price for conventionally grown tomatoes can go as high as Rp 8,000 per kilogram or as low as Rp 1,000 per kilo.

But the price of organic tomatoes is usually flat at about Rp 6,000 per kilo, thus providing a steady income for farmers.