Agricom.id, JAKARTA - Ministry of agriculture took every side to take the National Agriculture Day 2020 as part to honor the farmers. In specific, Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo did appreciate every side which consistently supports the farmers.

“The agricultural issues, for us, would not be handled by the government only but also we all should help each other so that the farmers get better lives,” he said, as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

He thought that Covid-19 pandemic impacts to many sectors and elements of the peop;le. The agriculture has its impact when the production is good and abundant but the farmers are difficult to sell their harvest because the supply chain does not run weel and the people’s buying capability gets weaker.

The government has provided and given the basic needs to plant, such as, seeds, fertilizers, and production tools in massive numbers though not every farmer gets them. The market access and price have issues because the logistic distribution does not run well.

That is why in the moment of National Agriculture Day 2020, he took the people to buy the products from the farmers in Indonesia, and help the market access for the farmers within their power.

“Of course, the government has limit but the businessmen and the people could reach the remote areas. We should not stay still and let the food price get cheaper. This would make the farmers pessimistic. They need our attention,” he said.

The government really appreciates what the agricultural starts-up and others have done by caring about the farmers, for example, Bukalapak provides market access for the groups of farmers through komando strategis pertanian (Kostratan); Bayer Indonesia and Mercy Corps Indonesia also have the program ‘Better Life Farming’ by empowering 500.000 farmers in 44 districts and 15 provinces in Indonesia.

"We need more to collaborate with the government and maintain the food availability nationally. We need to empower the farmers. They are the heroes of food in the pandemic. We have to keep the spirit because we could stand for the food issue,” he said. (A2)