WALHI Urges Government to Prioritize Food Industry Development

By : Herry Barus And Aldo Bella Putra | Thursday, December 28 2017 - 23:00 IWST

Petani Padi (Ilustrasi)

INDUSTRY.co.id - The Jambi Environment Forum (Walhi) of Jambi, called on the government to be more serious in prioritizing the development of the food sector by encouraging infrastructure for food-based farming needs.

"A number of areas in Jambi that have the potential to develop food self-sufficiency, especially rice crops, the situation is now not as expected," said Regional Executive Director of Walhi Jambi, Rudianysah in Jambi, Thursday (28/12/2017)

In the exposure of Walhi Jambi year-end notes, according to Rudi on the paddy field program of the targeted 5,000 hectares in 2017, Jambi Province is only able to target 3,500 hectares and the rest is returned to the central government.

The figure of 3,500 hectares of new rice field program is targeted in Jambi, and then his re-become 2,500 hectares due to limited local government budget constraints.

Rudi explained the condition is based on the seriousness of the government in encouraging the development of infrastructure in the palm oil monoculture sector which is not directly proportional to the seriousness of encouraging infrastructure for agricultural land needs.

So with the condition, the transfer of land into occupation palm plantation companies increasingly massive occurred in some areas in Jambi.

The more massive the conversion rate of agricultural land to monoculture (oil palm) plantations, also has an effect on increasingly narrowing the choice of farmers to produce their food regions.

He cited as in Sogo Village, Kumpeh Sub-district, Muarojambi, dozens of hectares of paddy fields in the village cannot be managed because of the impact of embankment construction by plantation companies.

"In addition to other examples in the Kembang Seri Village, there are 153.67 hectares of paddy fields that are managed independently at this time of occupation by the company," he said.

The narrowness of farmers' choice to produce their food is followed by the declining number of farmers.

"So the government should be more serious to prioritize the development of food sector, because now people and farmers in the villages are still many who rely on rice needs from subsidy schemes through cheap rice schemes," he added. (Ant)