Prakosa vows to help farmers

JAKARTA (JP): Muhammad Prakosa replaced Soleh Solahuddin as the minister of agriculture on Monday and said he would focus on the development of agribusiness and food production.

Prakosa, formerly program officer of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Jakarta, said the agribusiness development programs he would implement would cover all aspects of food production, from planting and processing to marketing.

He said his programs would be supported with adequate financing, extension services, irrigation networks and appropriate processing industries.

Prakosa promised to encourage transparency in his ministry and called on the public to actively monitor its performance.

Soleh shared Prakosa's views that the ministry should still focus on efforts to empower farmers by helping them to get low- interest loans and higher unhusked rice prices.

He admitted the ministry could not perform well without the cooperation of other institutions because many support services and other infrastructures required for agricultural development are outside its jurisdiction.

"We therefore need good coordination and cooperation with other ministries," he said. (06)