Indonesia Should Develop Horticultural Products that Last Longer

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - KTNA (The main representative body for farmers and fishermen in Indonesia) chairman, Winarno Tohir, said it is time for Indonesia to develop horticulture products that could last for longer time. This step is required so that weather conditions or pests that disrupt supplies do not disrupt food security.

"We relied too much on fresh horticultural products. Just look at Thailand, they never make a racket about chilies because they already use dried chilies," he said in a press release, Friday, March 7.

Thohir opined that Indonesia often has problems with lack of food supplies during extreme weathers. For instance, during prolonged rain, horticultural plants receive the first impact, such as, lack of sunlight, pests, and decreased supplies. "When in fact, we can prepare stocks with processed food that could be stored for a long time," he said.

In order to support that, according to Winarno, they require capital and education for farmers and state-owned enterprises. "Companies are to be given capital and education. Whoever wants to open dried or paste chili factories would be given capital, then they will be facilitated to acquire goods. Credits in the agricultural sector to be implemented," he explained.

He regretted the low credit distribution for the agricultural sector. According to Bank Indonesia's data in 2013, the credit distribution to the sector was approximately 5.5 percent. From the total banking credit of Rp2,721.9 trillion per February 2013, the bank recorded merely Rp149.7 trillion had been distributed to the agricultural sector.

HARUN MAHBUB