By: Adi Ginanjar *
Agriculture is one of the important sectors for the realization of self-sufficiency in food, in this modern era. Agricultural equipment certainly needs to be modernized in order to improve the quality of its production.
On the occasion of visiting Sragen in the context of friendship with the Association of Farmer Groups (Gapoktan) and the rice mill association and Indonesian rice businessman (Perpadi), candidate number 01 reminded the owners of rice mills to modernize agricultural equipment so that the quality of production increased.
Jokowi arrived at the GOR at 09:50 WIB wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and appeared accompanied by First Lady Iriana Jokowi. He was also accompanied by Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, Regional Police Chief Jatang Condro Kirono, and Military Commander IV Diponegoro Mohammad Efendi.
During the visit, Jokowi was in touch with business people in agriculture from Central Java. They also had a dialogue on fertilizers to production machines.
Jokowi wants the rice mill owners to have a drying machine or dryer. “From my childhood in the village until now I see that after the harvest, it must be sloped on the streets,” said Jokowi.
The former Mayor of Solo considered that the traditional method had been carried out for decades. Now is the time for business people in the agricultural sector to change the pattern to be modern.
“If we do not follow, do not change ourselves from the old patterns into new patterns, other countries will be left behind,” Jokowi said.
Jokowi also requested that Perpadi equip its member rice mills with dryers that could be used for both grain and corn. Because if only relying on manual methods will reduce the quality of rice and corn and disrupt production.
In the gathering, one of the residents admitted before Jokowi about the problem of financing problems to buy a new machine. Jokowi then promised to gather agricultural entrepreneurs in the palace after the presidential election later.
Jokowi plans to bring them together with the banking sector so that they can be facilitated in renewing production machinery. “This is not only for rice, but also for the problem of corn, the quality drops because of not entering the dryer,” he said.
In addition to dryers, Jokowi also wants each rice mill to have packaging tools. “Later each district can make its own brand and sell at a better price,” he said.
Joko Widodo also explained that good packaging would make agricultural products have brands that could raise the names of their respective regions.
On this occasion, Jokowi also said that he did not want Indonesia to lose to the countries in Southeast Asia.
“If we don’t want to change in silence, we can lose to Laos, losing to Cambodia,” he added.
“We are facing a change in the future, a very rapid global change. If we cannot follow it, we will not change ourselves from the old pattern to the new pattern, so the other countries will leave. “
The former Governor of DKI Jakarta also requested that Perpadi have a packaging tool so that farmers’ rice products have high selling prices.
“So when it’s finished, it can be sold directly. A good package is given by the brand so that consumers can recognize it, “said Jokowi accompanied by applause from the audience.
In the era of Jokowi’s leadership, infrastructure development to support the agricultural sector has been carried out from 2014 to the present, such as the construction of irrigation, dams and reservoirs. Disbursement of village funds has been used to make 1,971 embung units. Modernization of agricultural equipment has also become a concern for the government under the auspices of Jokowi.
Jokowi stressed that to advance the Indonesian agricultural sector. It takes a mindset from agricultural actors. Therefore he also asked the perpetrators to begin to turn their attention to the added value that can be obtained after harvest.
Modernization of agriculture also has an impact on increasing agricultural exports. Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), during the period 2015 – 2018, the total value of agricultural exports was recorded at Rp. 1.764 trillion. Even in 2018, export value increased by 29.7 percent to reach Rp.449.3 trillion.
This certainly shows that Indonesia as an agricultural country, of course requires modernization of agriculture in order to produce agricultural products that are able to compete with other products.
*) Contributors to the Indonesian Strategic Information Study Institute (LSISI)