VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo affirmed that the government is finalizing two strategies through the pursuit for seeds of superior varieties and setting a purchase price in order to encourage local farmers to replant soybeans.

Limpo remarked that the two strategies were discussed during a limited internal meeting on discussion on soybeans led by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Monday.

Limpo explained that the government will improve soybean varieties, if the need arises, using genetically modified (GMO) seeds or imported seeds to increase the volume of soybean production.

"We aim to increase the production of soybeans from, for example, 1.5 to two tons per hectare to three to four tons per hectare through new soybean varieties," he noted in a press statement after the meeting.

The minister believed that the low production volume per hectare had compelled most local farmers to abandon planting soybeans and instead opt to grow corn. Consequently, the fulfillment of over 90 percent of the national soybean requirement is supported by imports.

With the same price amounting to Rp5,000, farmers are able to harvest six to seven tons of corn in one hectare as compared to soybeans, with only 1.5 tons, he added.

Along with efforts to find varieties that can produce larger production volumes, the government is striving to maintain the interest of farmers to grow soybeans by controlling the purchase price, Limpo stated.

"The president said that imports must be conducted, but as long as it can be planted maximally, plant as much as possible and buy what is planted by the farmer. We must also determine the price to attract people to plant soybeans," the minister remarked.

He later stated that the range for the purchase price of soybeans from farmers was also discussed at the limited internal meeting. However, this will be decided further through a coordination meeting chaired by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, in the next week.

"I believe that this week, Minister Hartarto will issue our agreement to set a minimum purchase price for soybeans," Limpo remarked.

In general, Limpo affirmed that his side was preparing to expand the soybean planting area to 351 thousand hectares, from currently only 67 thousand hectares.

Earlier, the national soybean production in 2021 had reached 211 tons, while 2.48 million tons of soybeans were imported. (antaranews)

The Presidential Staff Office (KSP) is designing its own indigenous cloud system, Chief of the office  Moeldoko informed.  

The plan for the independent cloud system has been formulated with the help of the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN), state-owned telecommunications enterprise PT Industri Telekomunikasi Indonesia Persero (INTI), and a private company that will provide software for data storage.

The meeting to formulate the plan for the independent cloud system was held on Friday, and was attended by the head of BSSN, Lieutenant General Hinsa Siburian; president director of PT INTI, Edi Witjara; and CEO of PT Dekstop IP Teknologi Indonesia, Phidi Soepangkat, he said here on Monday.

"If we combine this, we will be independent in the cloud department, so that we can protect the data from other people's intervention. That is what we actually seek in the future," he explained.

The cloud system Indonesia has used so far was made overseas with machines from other countries, he said.

"We will create our own machine with the encryption that comes from BSSN. PT INTI act as a guarantor that can be sold to the government because PT INTI is state-owned," he informed.

"The government should utilize this so that we can control everything on our own. The goods already exist, we only need to expand it, which has been implemented by one corporation, namely PT Dekstop," he added.

However, creating an independent cloud system is a monumental task, which will take a long period of time and hard work, Moeldoko said.

"This plan has not been delivered to the President; I will formulate it first in KSP," he informed, adding that when the design has been improved, the KSP will present it to the President.

According to Moeldoko, the recent data leak case has become a momentum for the government to bolster Indonesian cybersecurity.

This can be achieved by optimizing domestic technology and by involving experts in cybersecurity, he added. (antaranews)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) called on relevant authorities to improve the mapping of horticulture commodities and production in regions, Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo stated.

"Regions with (horticulture production) surplus and regions with (production) shortage must be mapped properly," the minister noted during a press conference after attending a closed-door meeting presided over by Jokowi at the Presidential Palace complex here, Monday.

The minister drew attention to two approaches to improve mapping, with the first being through intensification of trade communication between regions and pro-active roles from regional leaders, while the second approach is applied through the central government's direct intervention.

Limpo affirmed that improved commodity mapping, apart from facilitating the monitoring of productivity levels, could also help control prices.

The minister then called for making continued improvements to the logistic and transportation systems in a bid to achieve price stability under the government's control.

The president instructed to plant more horticulture commodities while expecting state-owned enterprises to provide logistics and ensure production flow for farmers, purchase the commodity from the farmer, and store the product properly before its distribution, he remarked.

"State companies are instructed to purchase all existing products to develop the product stock and distribute the product gradually when a shortage is detected or during peak seasons. We are optimistic that this would be a good strategy," Limpo remarked.

Jokowi also instructed regions to utilize the contingency fund in the respective regional budgets to cover food transportation spending in order to maintain price stability and reduce the inflation level, the minister noted.

"District heads, mayors, and governors must partake in controlling (the commodity) prices because our production is adequate. Meanwhile, the agriculture ministry and the National Food Agency, which regulates the regional balance, would cooperate with regional authorities to intervene in regions with production shortage and map (the commodity production) properly," Limpo expounded. (antaranews)

The number of entrepreneurs in Indonesia is not yet ideal for the country to become a developed country, according to the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

"To this end, it needs efforts to realize a supportive entrepreneurship ecosystem, including through cross-sectoral synergies, standardization, and integration of program implementation at both the central and regional levels, as well as developing business processes in the entrepreneurship ecosystem," the ministry's Assistant Deputy for Business Ecosystem of the Entrepreneurship Deputy Irwansyah Putra said at the National Entrepreneurship Development Workshop event in Sukabumi, West Java, according to an official statement here on Sunday.

Putra noted that the government had issued Presidential Regulation Number 2 of 2022 concerning National Entrepreneurship Development to spur the growth and development of entrepreneurship in the country.

The workshop was also one of the efforts to disseminate Presidential Regulation Number 2 of 2022 and assist micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in entering the digital ecosystem.

"This is a collaboration of various parties, both the central and regional governments, the business world, and various other stakeholders to jointly push the improvement of MSMEs' competency and the transformation of MSMEs to become innovative and sustainable enterprises," he explained.

He expressed hope that the strong eagerness of business players to level up, the support from the government through various programs and incentives, and the synergy of various parties can encourage the birth of entrepreneurs that can create many job opportunities and push the birth of new entrepreneurs.

Head of the Cooperatives and SMEs Office of Sukabumi District Yulipri stated that the number of MSMEs in Sukabumi District reached 201 thousand, and 46 thousand of them had owned business identification numbers (NIBs).

The workshop, which was held by the Cooperatives and SMEs Ministry, has greatly helped MSMEs to increase their competitiveness, get knowledge and information regarding business legalities such as NIBs, Home Industry Food (PIRT), and halal certificates. (Antaranews)