High-yielding rice variety promoted by SBY a 'hoax'

Suherdjoko and Abdul Khalik ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Semarang, Jakarta   |  Fri, 09/05/2008 11:27 AM  |  Headlines

While leading the harvest of a new strain of rice -- called "Supertoy HL2" -- last April in Purworejo, Central Java, President Yudhoyono could not have imagined the humiliation that lay in store for him.

It might be called the lastest hoax to hit the presidential office since the "Blue Energy" alternative fuel scandal earlier this year.

Speaking with local farmers during the harvest event attended by Purworejo officials and cabinet members, including Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono, the President praised Sarana Harapan Indopangan (SHI), the company responsible for producing and distributing Supertoy HL2.

The company is reportedly owned, in part, by Yudhoyono's special staff member Heru Lelono, who also led the "Blue Energy" project.

"If proved successful, we will begin a mass planting process throughout the country to increase food production," the President said at the time.

The product of genetic engineering, Supertoy HL2 is allegedly immune to disease and capable of higher yields. Seeds were planted on 103 hectares belonging to rice farmers in Grabag village in Purworejo.

Five months later, hundreds of farmers from the village became infuriated when they failed to harvest any rice from the seeds in question, leaving them with nothing to eat despite months of hard work.

They set fire to their fields when SHI asked them to pay for the seeds.

Feeling cheated, the farmers threatened Wednesday to sue the company if it did not pay them for damages incurred.

The central administration and its local counterpart have now begun taking turns in the blame game.

Local officials have denied responsibility for the harvest failure, while Minister Anton and presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said the President had nothing to do with the problem.

"The farmers never told us when they planted the seeds," Central Java agricultural agency head Nuswantoro Setyadi Pradono said in Semarang, Central Java, on Thursday.

Andi said the President attended the April ceremony because he was invited.

"It has nothing to do with the President as it is not a government project," he added.

Minister Anton blamed SHI for selling the seeds without properly testing them.

"In fact, we're in the process of examining the seedlings. We have checked some, but have so far received inconsistent results," the minister said.

The Democratic Party, founded by Yudhoyono, directly blamed Heru Lelono and demanded the presidential aide be fired over the incident.

"It (the dismissal of Heru) won't be long in coming, probably in several weeks," Democratic Party deputy chairman Ahmad Mubarok said.

Last year, Yudhoyono attended a ceremony to launch "Blue Energy", an alternative fuel project led by Heru that later turned out to be a hoax.

Its inventor, Djoko Suprapto, who claimed to be able convert sea water into fuel, is being detained on charges of public deception. (ewd)

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