Agricom.id, JENOPONTO – Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) visited District of Jenoponto, one paddy and corn producer area in South Sulawesi, Monday (20/4/2020), as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

In his visit, SYL told that the togetherness and cooperation are important to develop the agriculture, namely in the pandemic of corona virus (Covid-19).

"I also take the police and its food task force, PT. Bulog, the stakeholders, the army. This is the call of the country. We have to make sure that the food needs for the people are in good condition. Please, lay hand on this country,” he said when being taken by Regent of Jeneponto, Iksan Iskandar.

The agriculture, SYL thought, in this situation should not stop. “The production and the distribution should run (well). I asked the police to monitor the transportation of food materials,” he said.

He and Regent Iksan Iskandar also did harvest paddy in Dusun Palippri, Village of Kalumpangloe, Sub district of Arungkeke, District of Jeneponto.

In his speech, Regent Iksan told that there are about 26 thousand hectares of paddy fields in the district within the productivity reaching 5 – 6 tons per hectare, and 36 thousand hectares of corn fields within the productivity, 7,8 tons per hectare.

"I have to tell you, Sir. For the corn, some farmers should sell their harvest to other district because of price gap. The water in the corn here may be about 30 percent, and it is sold Rp 1.700 per kilogram. While in other district, it is Rp 1.800 per kilo gram," he said.

He thought that his happens for the farmers are stuck in the rice buying (with the loan sharks). Besides, the water that the collectors want is seven percent while the farmers could not do the post – harvest treatment. They should directly sell theirs within the water 30 percent.

Knowing this, SYL who was the governor of South Sulawesi suggested to advantage kredit usaha rakyat (KUR) in agriculture.

"We have KUR in agriculture reaching Rp 50 billion. Take it and do the best. If you are dealing with the loan sharks, please, the agriculture agency should coordinate with the general director of agriculture infrastructure and distribute the KUR here,” SYL said.

He thought that KUR is one way of the government to ensure that the farmers would get better in Indonesia and develop the advance, independent, and modern agriculture.

“Do not let the loan sharks get more profits than the farmers. There is no fee to drive, keep it in mind. Do not buy the corn from the farmers about Rp 1.700. It should be the same with fix price. The buying is Rp 3.150, should not less than the fixed price,” SYL said.

He thought, there should be process, drying so that the quality of corn would be better and be more expensive (to sell). (A2)