Agrico.id, JAKARTA – President Jokowi wanted that the integrated business through the farmers’ corporates should be completed, becoming the role models, and replicated in other provinces. He told that when visiting District of Humbang Hasundutan, North Sumatera so that other provinces could also develop food estate.

General Director of Food Plantation, Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi told that it needs to empower the production base in the existing areas and in the new areas. It is said that Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo has emphasized that corporate and food estate should be developed to escalate the food security, optimize the natural resources, open the efficient agricultural business chance in on farm and off farm for the farmers’ welfare nationally.

“It needs to strengthen the base of production. What we have done should get impact significantly. The unique of natural resources, efficiency, production capacity, quality of products, added values, and continuity of production should be well designed. These are the main bases of competition,” he said in Jakarta, Saturday (21/11) as in the official statement to Agrico.id.

He also mentioned that collaboration of the natural resources in the business configuration optimally should be by strengthening every parameter of competition in the better condition. The qualified products would make the better price which means that the farmers get better income.

“The process of corporate and making food estate are the best option now,” he said.

Secretary of General Directorate of Food Plantation, Bambang Pamuji also suggested that it needs to design a corporate and food estate system in each province by prioritizing three options, such as, the first, the existing areas; the second, new areas; and the third, the integrated existing areas and new areas.

“The calculation of investment would be different too in the three options,” he said.

He continued that it needs to develop the corporate and food estate in the same time. Food estate needs the maximal width of production, integrated business as the mainstay of products.

“The certainty of the two would be the start to design the good corporate. One thing for sure is that the result would create the clear products, and encourage the brand,” he said.

He also mentioned that the ideal base of food estate is at least 1.000 hectares. The key is the implementation of production process which pays attention to the good agricultural practices and the traceability process should be monitored well.

“It is often to happen that our products were rejected because we have no traceability of products. The artificial environment is needed to increase the added values. The agricultural regions would be valuable when they could be the option as the environment tourism,” he said.

He also asked that every province could assess their production bases and decide their integrated regions by making regulation on the corporate and food estate.

“We need creativity from many sides so that the corporate and food estate could significantly run just like President Jokowi hoped for,” he said. (A2)