Jakarta (TROBOSLIVESTOCK.COM). Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman met with representatives of livestock farmers on Friday (9/10) in Jakarta to follow up on various complaints, particularly concerning feed costs. The high price of laying-hen feed had been raised by farmers during a protest at the House of Representatives.
Amran Sulaiman responded by preparing a corn procurement scheme at more affordable prices, in an effort to help livestock farmers obtain feed raw materials.
I want this feed to have a system. You procure it, Bulog pays for it,” Amran emphasized.
Furthermore, Minister of Agriculture Amran stressed that the government would ensure farmers receive a fair price for corn when the main harvest season arrives, while livestock farmers can also obtain corn at an affordable price to support the feed needs of chickens. The importance of maintaining a balance between farmers and livestock farmers,
“Farmers must not suffer losses. If farmers lose, the country also loses,” he said.
Corn is procured when production is abundant and prices are relatively low. The purchased corn is then stored through cooperatives for use when farmers need supplies, including when market prices rise.
Under this scheme, farmers help absorb corn during the main harvest, while Bulog provides financing and cooperatives serve as storage facilities for the stock. With this proposed mechanism, farmers’ harvests can be absorbed, and farmers have access to feed raw materials with a more reliable supply.
The Minister of Agriculture asked Bulog to recalculate the budget required for this procurement mechanism as the best solution to reduce losses among farmers. “This is the best solution to help farmers make a profit,” said Minister of Agriculture Amran.
Minister of Agriculture Amran explained that 40 thousand tons of corn would be included in the scheme that had been discussed. Beyond this amount, the government will continue procuring corn, taking into account the country’s availability and capacity.
Kasmani, a farmers’ representative from Lampung, complained about the difficulty of obtaining corn that meets the needs of his business, even though South Lampung is a corn-producing center. He said that the price of corn purchased from farmers or collectors was high, reaching Rp. 8.400 per kilogram.
In addition to price, corn quality is also a challenge in corn procurement, namely its moisture content. In West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), the moisture content of corn ranges from 16-17 percent, while BULOG sets a moisture-content standard of 14 percent for corn to be procured.
In response to these challenges, Minister of Agriculture Amran recommended supporting facilities for storage and drying, especially in areas with corn-production potential such as NTB and Gorontalo, so that corn from production centers meets standards and can be procured by Bulog. He said the government was supporting the strengthening of Bulog’s warehouse infrastructure by allocating a budget of Rp. 5 trillion.
“The President has already allocated a budget of Rp5 trillion for Bulog’s package warehouse. Complete it with dryer,” said Amran.
Through a scheme for procurement during the main harvest, financing by Bulog, storage through cooperatives, and the strengthening of drying and warehousing facilities, the government is promoting a more sustainable supply system for feed corn. This measure is expected to help farmers obtain fair prices, ease livestock breeders’ feed costs, and safeguard the sustainability of the national livestock business.fara