Agricom.id, JAKARTA – Executive Director of Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef), Ahmad Tauhid did appreciate the progress of the agriculture nationally in the third quarter of 2020 up to 2,15 percent. He thought that the numbers are extraordinary because in the same time, other sectors got decreasing.

“I think, this is positive when other sectors negatively developed though it is not fully normal,” he said, Saturday (7/11/2020) as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He also said that every positive thing seen from year on year (y on y) or quarter on quarter (q to q) was supported from the increasing demands on horticultural and plantation products, both in the domestic and in the exports.

“The agriculture is supported by the stable demands on the horticultural and plantation commodities both in the domestic and in the exports,” he said.

But he also urged the government to improve the contraction in the livestock and fishery sectors which decreased because of the decreasing demands in hotels, restaurants, and food courts.

“One thing for sure, it needs more efforts knowing that in the third quarter of 2020 the increasing y on y reached 2,19%. The contribution, specifically in the food plantation sub sector, though it was positive when the second harvest took place, still decreased in demands as the decreasing buying capability of the people,” Ahmad said.

About what he said, Head of Public Information and Relation, Ministry of Agriculture, Indonesian Republic, Kuntoro Boga Andri told that the second harvest of paddy still runs in many regions in Indonesia. This is the main contributor of the increasing progress in agriculture in the third quarter. Besides, the horticultural sub sector also increased as same as the increasing demands of vegetables and fruits.

“From the plantation sub sector, cocoa, rubber, clove, tobacco also contributed. This happened for the increasing kredit usaha rakyat (KUR) absorption in agriculture which runs well," he said.

Besides, he continued, Central Bureau of Statistic (CBS) Indonesian Republic also claimed that the agriculture in January - September 2020 reached US$ 2,82 billion or increased 9,7 percent compared to the same period in last year which reached US$ 2,57 billion.

"The exports of processed product in the same period increased US$ 18,47 billion or 5,97 percent compared to the same period in last year which reached US$ 17,43 billion," he said.

Kuntoro also mentioned said that the increasing had something to do with the farmers’ exchange rate and farmers’ business exchange rate in June - September, which reached 101,66 and 101,74 for each. The two are more than 100.

By the numbers, he ensured that Ministry of Agriculture Indonesia Republic could fulfill the rice needs until the end of this year. This is known from the rice production in January - September 2020 which reached 26,06 million tons.

"Still based on CBS, it is predicted that by the end of December 2020 the rice production could be 31,63 million tons or increases 1 percent compared to the same period in last year. By the numbers, the stock in the end of this year could be 7,4 million tons," Andri said. (A2)