Ministry of Agriculture Encourages the Development of Export Orientation of Food Larger on the Border

INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta - The Ministry of Agriculture continues to encourage the development of export-oriented food granaries in the border region. On various occasions Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman explained this is meant as an alternative step in improving the welfare of farmers who are in the outskirts of the border.

The border area is a part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) which is essentially "the front porch of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia." Geographically Indonesia's border region consists of land and sea borders located in 13 provinces and includes 41 districts.The land border is directly adjacent to the state Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste while the border of the sea is bordered by 10 countries, namely India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Palau Republic, Australia, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Viewed from the location and its potential, the border area has a very strategic and profitable prospect to be developed. One of them is the vast land potential and the many natural resources. The potential problem has not been used properly and optimally.

In addition, the complexity of socio-economic problems in the border region becomes a government home job that must be immediately answered. These classic problems include the backwardness of economic infrastructure and accessibility of information, remote location, and socio-economic conditions of the community is lower than the socio-economic conditions of neighboring countries.

To that end, technological innovation and "special" policy support is urgently needed by the border to make a leap in the development of its territory. Therefore, in the elaboration of the nawacita, the Ministry of Agriculture created a special program in the form of Export-oriented Food Export Oriented Food in Border Areas, known as LPBE-WP.

LPBE-WP is one of the strategic steps to encourage economic growth and reduce the welfare gap between regions and between communities in border areas. The development of LPBE-WP is aimed at increasing food production capacity to meet food needs in the border areas and its advantages for export primarily to neighboring countries to improve the welfare of the people and the development of border area economy.

The main objective is to increase the production, quality, and competitiveness of food commodities by prioritizing the welfare of the people and the sustainability of natural resources in the border areas.
The development of LPBE-WP is based on the concept of modern agriculture supported by technological innovation and institutional production facilities, capital, as well as processing and marketing of agricultural products through empowerment of farmer groups and partnerships with the private sector.

Five provinces targeted as LPBE-WP priority locations are (1) West Kalimantan Province, Sambas, Sintang, Sanggau, Bengkayang and Kapuas Hulu districts; (2) Riau Islands Province, in Lingga, Karimun and Natuna districts; (3) North Kalimantan Province in Nunukan Regency; (4) Papua Province in Merauke; (5) East Nusa Tenggara Province in Malacca and Belu. Priority commodities developed include rice (all provinces except NTT), maize for West Kalimantan, Papua and NTT. Onion became the development target for the border of Kaltara and NTT. Specific vegetable development is directed to pursue export targets to Singapore and Malaysia a priority Kepri and West Kalimantan.

Various efforts continue to be done across the Echelon I scope of the Ministry throughout 2017. Implementation of the program that has been running includes paddy field printing and optimization of land use; improvement of micro-water network; Special Efforts (Upsus); assistance of alsintan, seeds and other production facilities; human resource training apparatus, farmers and their institutions; as well as support and assistance in the application of agricultural technology innovation.

Head of the Agency for Agricultural Research and Development, Muhammad Syakir explained that Balitbangtan has specifically built a model pilot of large-scale food commodity production system while simultaneously carrying out advisory and escorting strategic commodity cultivation that can be a tipping point to improve the welfare of the people in the border region.

Furthermore, Syakir added, at least the various efforts have yielded tangible results with the pioneering export to several neighboring countries. February 2017 Minister Amran Sulaiman launches rice export to Papua New Guinea from Merauke Regency. Subsequently, the launching of onion export exports to the Republic of Timor Leste from Malacca, NTT and rice exports from Sanggau Regency, West Kalimantan to Malaysia in October 2017.

Launching the pioneering border export to complement Kementan's real work in an effort to reverse the history of Indonesian agriculture. In 2015 Indonesia imports 3.5 million tons of corn equivalent to 10 trillion, since 2017 Indonesia is a corn exporting country to three countries. Similarly, onion, 2014 Indonesia imports up to 72 thousand tons, but in 2017 Indonesia was able to turn the situation into an onion-exporting country to six countries. "This Amran Minister's policy move is not only able to increase foreign exchange, but also increase farmers' income," said Syakir.

"For that commitment Amran Sulaiman mentan in lifting the fate of farmers in five border provinces to be a mandate that must continue to be realized its sustainability in the future," please Syakir.

Therefore Shakir requires the need for policy support and synergism with other Ministries and Institutions, as well as the support and participation of private parties in order to encourage investment in production and trade including export of agricultural products.

Providing various incentives to investors including the deregulation of licensing and simplification of services, the improvement of the trade system and the development of supporting infrastructure and export facilitation becomes an important agenda that cannot be separated from the LPBE-WP development sequence. At least until 2017 Kementan became a successful institution in implementing deregulation of various regulations.

"This achievement should be kept together with technological innovation guard, so that the welfare of farmers in the border can continue to increase," concluded