Job Creation Law Able to Encourage the Advancement of the Agricultural Sector
By: Sinta Astari )*
In the Job Creation Law, there is an agrarian cluster created so that farmers are able to compete in the global market and advance their lives. Indonesia is a nation that once depended on agricultural products and the government is trying to make this field more modern. So that our agrarian system does not become backward and only applies a traditional system.
The public was stirred by the Job Creation Law which broke the Law No. 13/2010 on horticulture. In the omnibus law agrarian cluster, there is no maximum investment restriction of 30% on agricultural land, as in the past. However, don’t think that this is a new model of colonialism, because there is still a positive side to the Job Creation Law.
According to Donny Pasaribu, a researcher from CIPS, the Job Creation Law will have the opportunity to increase agricultural productivity. Especially horticultural commodities. When there are foreign investors, the farmers will get a supply of good quality plant seeds from abroad. So there will be a symbiosis of mutualism, and farmers are guaranteed not to lose.
In that sense, if there are superior plant seeds, then agricultural yields in Indonesia will be better. For example, we have Indramayu mango which is sweet, but it is still less competitive in the market with fruits from Thailand. If there are good quality seeds, the local fruit will be bigger and tastier. People will prefer local to imported.
In addition, the absence of restrictions on foreign investment will also attract investors to enter the agricultural sector in Indonesia. So far, they only do business in tourism midwives. But now they are also interested in working with farmers and starting businesses so they can get good quality vegetables, fruit and food crops.
When the Job Creation Law was implemented, if there were investors who naturally had large capital, the agricultural system in Indonesia would not be stagnant and would only rely on buffalo and cows to plow fields. However, they were introduced to tractors and other modern tools to cultivate the land. So the process will be faster and save energy.
In addition, investors can also introduce other modern agricultural systems. It could be a science to calculate the shifting of seasons in Indonesia. Because there is an effect of global warming, so the rainy season can move forward. When there is no mathematical calculation and looking at climate and weather patterns, the harvest can fail and farmers only bite their fingers.
Farmers are also invited not only to become producers, but also to process their crops into goods with higher selling value. For example, in the past, it only sold sweet potatoes, but now it is also processed into chips, buns and sweet potato flour. With this processing, besides getting more money, it is also more durable. This is one of the benefits of the Agrarian Cluster Job Creation Law.
This law also states that its function is to guarantee the interests of farmers as a source of food for the people. So with the knowledge provided by investors, farmers will become smarter and able to cultivate land and have a business strategy. It is not like the opinion of the people who state that this law is another form of colonialism.
Straightening this out is very important because there could be something wrong with the agrarian cluster in the Job Creation Law. This law was made for the people and does not mean that the welfare of farmers will be annexed by investors. Because if there is a violation, of course the government will take action.
Indonesia is an agrarian country and it is time for land to be cultivated to become more modern. Don’t refuse investors, and don’t be allergic to the word ‘foreign’. Try to think positively and try to grow fruits and vegetables with a strategy, so that they can produce superior products that can be exported.
)* The author is active in the West Java Student Movement (Gema)