Agricom.id, PENDEGLANG – What ministry of agriculture does to boost the exports through Gratieks (Gerakan tiga kali ekspor) encouraged the regional government to know and optimize the added agricultural products which penetrate the export. District of Pandeglang, for instance, the agriculture agency is now managing the beneng taro from the upstream to downstream sectors to triple the exports.

Head of Plantation Agency, District of Pandeglang, H. Budi S. Januardi said that the strategic development of beneng taro is to increase the export to support the success of vision and mission in the district, agency, and Gratieks. It is also series of implementation of changing project leadership of pelatihan kepemimpinan nasional (PKN) tingkat II that he joined.

"Beneng Taro (Beuneur jeung Koneng or in Indonesi, it is big and yellow) is the icon in the district which ministry of agriculture certified as the local mainstay commodity and export from District for the next five years,” he said when meeting the stakeholders discussing the strategic development of beneng taro as the local mainstay commodity supporting the exports from District of Pendeglang in Saung Saba Juhut, Friday (2/10/2020) as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He also told that beneng taro has comparative and competitive superiorities because every part of ti could have economic values. It could grow in any area, including below the trees. It is not seasonal and not expired time. It could be the alternative to substitute rice, and could be processed as tobacco within zero nicotine.

“The domestic and foreign market demands are numerous but until now we could not fulfill because of limited materials,” he said.

He also explained some strategies to manage the commodity, such as, empowering the institution by making Asosiasi Pelaku Usaha Talas Beneng, District of Pandeglang, empowering the business in farmer’s corporate by making union. The collaboration and partnership within many sides, including by making the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the buyers exporters, developing the main actors by the counselors and Balai Pengkajian Teknologi Teknologi Pertanian (BPTP), Banten Province to implement the agriculture technology.

In the on farm, we would empower the seeds of beneng taro to be certified and to get the labels. We would expand the planting up to 35 sub districts. In the on farm, we would diversify the products and would sell in the market place,” he said.

Head of Balai Karantina Pertanian, Kelas II, Cilegon, Arum Kusnila Dewi supported it. She said that for the Gratieks, her side would select some villages to do exports and Gratieks sustainably.

Karantina Pertanian would ease the export standards and would directly come to take the export commodity.

“Through Karantina, ministry of agriculture would give development technic about the sanitary and phyto – sanitary, prepare the field and good handling practice development,” she said.

In the other place, General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi told that according to Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo which focuses to increase the production and export, ministry of agriculture would fully support the production and exports to the regional government and farmers. Propaktani (Program Pengembangan Korporasi Tanaman Pangan) program of ministry of agriculture would develop the commodity development in corporate region which is supported by kredit usaha rakyat (KUR), superior seeds helps, the modern agricultural tools, and the market guarantee by preparing the off taker.

"Just like what Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo told to develop the agriculture in corporate or industrial – base, the ProPaktani program is in synergy with the fund, investment, and export. The region or cluster should optimize the available areas, should be managed, should optimize the fund independently, or from KUR, or others,” he said.

“By the professional cluster development management system, ministry of agriculture believed that it could make the taro farmers in better class to make corporate,” he said.

In the end of discussion, everything done in the event was signed within the support of the stakeholders. The association was made too and some beneng taro seeds were given to the participants as the action to love and expand the planting.

Many stakeholders attended the event, such as, from the regional, provincial, and central governments, the private, and the farmers. The officers of General Directorate of Food Plantation, and General Directorate of Agricultural Infrastructure, Ministry of Agriculture attended it.  (A2)