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Presidential candidates differ on ideas for fixing agriculture
While the three presidential candidates all agree that Indonesian agriculture needs reforming, they propose different ways to achieve this.
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The three presidential candidates, Anies Baswedan (right), Ganjar Pranowo (center) and Prabowo Subianto greet each other after the first presidential election debate at the General Elections Commission (KPU) office in Jakarta on Dec. 12, 2023. (AFP/Yasuyoshi Chiba)
T
he three presidential candidates have laid out their visions for Indonesian agriculture and all three agree that the sector needs reforming, but they propose different ways to achieve that.
Speaking separately in front of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) on Thursday, both Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo mentioned a need to modernize farming in the country.
Anies said modernization “is important”, while Ganjar said it “is non-negotiable” as both argued agricultural productivity needed ramping up.
The former elaborated that his plans would encompass solving irrigation problems and fixing supply chain inefficiencies by connecting farmers with state-owned off-takers under fixed-term contracts, so farmers would get some reassurance about grain price stability while the off-taker would get steady and cheaper supplies.
“I have talked with farmers, […] and my conclusion is that there are three [problems]. One: fertilizer. Two: fertilizer. Three: fertilizer,” said Anies, promising that he would procure accessible and cheap fertilizer and seeds for farmers, should he be elected.
An agricultural survey published in early December by Statistics Indonesia (BPS) showed a jump of more than 2 million people over the last decade in the share of farmers managing less than 0.5 hectares. BPS defines them as petani gurem (subsistence farmers), a group that ranks below smallholder farmers in land ownership.
This resulted in a slump in national productivity as subsistence farmers were crowded out of farming due to its financial unreliability.
