Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo (Mentan SYL) urges Indonesian traders to support the acceleration and increase in agricultural production. According to SYL, the role of traders, especially large-scale traders like ISMI, is crucial in absorbing farmers' produce, especially during the ongoing extreme El Nino weather conditions until August. SYL emphasized the importance of agriculture and its promising prospects, stating that during any crisis, agricultural business is the one that can continue to thrive. The government has already prepared various strategic measures to address national and global crises, such as mapping agricultural land into red, green, and yellow categories as a step of adaptation and anticipation during the dry season of El Nino.
The Ministry of Agriculture has also provided financing through the People's Business Credit (KUR) as a capital credit facility for farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs. The KUR funding is allocated to almost all districts, with an initial capital of IDR 50 billion for agricultural machinery. The KUR credit can be used for various purposes, including purchasing water pumps, agricultural tools, organic fertilizers, and other farming needs. SYL emphasized the need for each region to establish its own food reserves to store supplies during global crises. He also encouraged farmers to continue production by utilizing the available water resources, including utilizing water from reservoirs and rehabilitating irrigation networks. The government will provide KUR funding along with insurance coverage to support these efforts.
