Zulhas: Fertiliser must be available on time to boost agricultural production

Jepara — Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan has emphasised the importance of ensuring timely fertiliser availability for farmers to support increased agricultural production, particularly in Jepara Regency, Central Java.

“The timeliness of fertiliser distribution will have a direct impact on agricultural productivity. If fertiliser arrives on time, production could increase by approximately eight per cent,” he said during a working visit to Jepara Regency on Monday.

During the visit, Coordinating Minister Zulkifli Hasan inspected several strategic locations, including Kaliombo Village, Kedung Housing Complex, Bulakbaru Beach, Petekeyan Village Hall, Jepara District Office, Kartini Hall, and the Grand Mosque of Jepara.

At Kaliombo, Zulkifli Hasan, accompanied by Jepara Regent Witiarso Utomo, held an informal dialogue with residents. He enquired about the price of unhusked rice at the farmer level, which was reported to be around IDR 7,000 per kilogram.

During the visit, Zulkifli Hasan also directly asked farmers about fertiliser conditions in the field. Residents reported that current fertiliser prices were lower than previously.

He explained that this working visit was part of President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to ensure various food security programmes run effectively in the regions.

Zulkifli Hasan stated that the government is currently focusing on several priority programmes in the food sector. These include the provision of subsidised fertiliser at more affordable prices for farmers, the development of fishing villages, and ensuring adequate food availability at affordable prices in preparation for Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.

As part of efforts to assist the community, the government is also distributing aid consisting of ten kilograms of rice and two litres of cooking oil to residents. This aid is being distributed this month and will be distributed again in the following month.

Additionally, the government is offering stimulus to citizens who travel during the annual mass migration period by providing a thirty per cent discount on train and Pelni ship tickets.

The government is also intensifying subsidised cheap market bazaar activities as an effort to maintain the stability of basic commodity prices whilst helping to increase the purchasing power of the community.