Yogyakarta, NU Online
The statement of Indonesia’s Minister of  Agriculture about the cancellation of the planned fertilizer HET by 2007 amounted to 50 percent has not made farmers satisfied. They were likely in trauma on the government policy dealt with the rice import several months ago. Whereas, the government had formerly promised not to import rice anymore.

The minister termed the statement at a conference of the third food safety council in Bogor on Tuesday (21/11) following the instruction of President SBY to seek solution on the national fertilizer at the same occasion.

<>“Of course, the (government) statements within the very short time have increasingly made the farmers who have been so far experiencing a crisis of belief in the government angry. Which were the reliable statements, it’s unclear,” Vice Chairman of Yogyakarta’s NU, KH Mohammad Maksum  told NU Online here on Wednesday (22/11).

The activist of Communication Forum for Islamic Boarding Schools-farmers (SKPP), who is also a lecturer at the Faculty of Agricultural Technology Gajah Mada University (UGM) said, the people’s minds had been fulfilled by overlapping promises and statements.

The farmers, he added, have been now worried over the hike of the fertilizer HET that has been reinstated since last month, exactly in May 2006 amounting to 10-15 percent based on the Decree of the Ministry of Agriculture No 505/2006. The price of the urea-based fertilizer HET with reference to the decree has been raised from previously Rp 1.050/kg to Rp 1.200/kg. (nam)