Agricom.id, JAKARTA – Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) mentioned that the villages play important roles to develop the agriculture. SYL also emphasized that the heads of village are important just like other higher officers.

“The heads of village are as important as the heads of sub district, regents, governors, or ministers,” SYL said when speaking in front of the village representatives joining in Asosiasi Pemerintah Desa Seluruh Indonesia (Apdesi), South Sulawesi Province in the head quarter of Ministry of Agriculture Indonesian Republic, South Jakarta Selatan Wednesday (18/11/2020) as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He also hoped that the heads of village should actively play their roles to mobilize the agricultural development.  The agriculture has something to do with the people’s life. “The agriculture never stops or postpones to fulfill food for 257 million citizens of Indonesia, namely in the pandemic like nowadays,” he said.

To facilitate the villages in agricultural development, Ministry of Agriculture Indonesian Republic has some programs to be synergized with the village development, such as, food estate. SYL told that the government is developing food estate in some regions. By prioritizing the integrated agricultural concept, food estate would advantage the modern agricultural tools and machines.

“If you have 10.000 hectares of agricultural areas and separated, we would help the facility. We would use the modern tools and machines. We would support with mechanism, starting from the production to the process activity,” SYL said.

He also took the heads of village to facilitate kredit usaha rakyat (KUR) to activate the agricultural development in their regions. SYL also promised to activate his officers to ease the farmers to get KUR. “We would prepare the training and development so that the farmers could advantage KUR well,” he explained.

He also told that the heads of village should not be doubtful to develop the agriculture in their regions. It is proven that the agriculture is the back bone of economy in the pandemic.

The agriculture becomes one business which positively develops in Covid-19 pandemic. Based on Central Bureau of Statistic (CBS), Indonesian Republic, the agriculture, forestry, and fishery contributed 14,68 percent to the gross domestic products. It increased 2,15% year on year (YoY).

He also mentioned that the agriculture plays its role in the economy and hires the workers. Based on CBS, the agriculture hired the workers in August 2020. Of 128,45 million citizens who work, 29,76 percent were in agriculture. “If you want to have developing villages, develop the agriculture,” SYL said. (T2)