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Agrarian reform new way to tackle inequality, Jokowi says
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A farmer spreads fertilizer on verdant paddies in Mujur village, Cilacap, Central Java. (JP/Agus Maryono)
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grarian reform will be a new way to tackle poverty and economic inequality, especially in the villages, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo says, pointing to the fact that many poor people in villages have little or no land.
During a limited meeting on agrarian reform at the Presidential Office on Wednesday, Jokowi reiterated that the government was currently focused on dealing with three main issues, namely poverty, inequality and job creation.
The Central Statistics Agency’s (BPS) latest data shows most farmers in villages are laborers who have no land, or small farmers who own less than 0.3 hectares per person. These two categories of farmers had very low income, the President said.
"Due to the low income level, farm laborers and small farmers are most vulnerable to rising food prices and thus likely to increase urbanization. I hope agrarian reform will be a new way to tackle poverty and economic inequality, especially in the villages," Jokowi explained.
In relation to that, he continued, the government would address poverty in rural areas through various approaches, including agrarian reform, infrastructure construction, spending village funds on productive sectors and providing wider access to capital through micro credit. (ags)
