Stock of Food for Only 24 Days (Shortage)
Food is produced by farmer or those who living on agriculture sector. Food is one of the principle needs for people. In most of Asian and African people rice is the staple food. Developed or advanced or industrial countries have no problem with food, but it becomes a great problem for developing or underdeveloped countries. Many of them are in Asia and Africa continents and in central and south America. Riots and disorder in communities even often happen as the food is shortage. In Haiti, the Prime Minister was dismissed after food riot. Less publicized food riots happened in Egypt. The misery pictures and reports from Africa how people fight over the food, struggle or snatch away among their friends to get food distributed by United Nations officers or other International Chariry organization of Non Governmental Organizations.
Indonesia is vulnerable to a drop in rice production, and has a little rice reserve. The government has paid less and less attention to agriculture, hence agricultural production is not keeping pace with demand. Indonesia import many kinds of agricultural product to meet the domestic demand.
Winarno Tohir, a National Prominent Farmer and Fisherman Contact (Kontak Tani dan Nelayan Andalan, KTNA) (2008) analyzed the rice (food) problem in Indonesia, and he predicted there will be a shortage of rice in this year. His analysis; the area of arable land for food crop (rice ) cultivation per-capita is 531 m2 with the productivity per hectare 4.6 ton of husked rice (unmilled). So, the yield per-capita per annum is 228 kg. The rendament[1] of husked rice to unhusked (milled) rice is 63,5 % gaining 148 kg of milled rice per-capita. This figure of production is compared to the consumption per capita per annum of 139,15 kg resulting a rest of around 9 kg per-capita per year. Nine kilogram reserve is a very risky reserve.
To get a reserve of 9 kg per person if the condition is normal, there is no failures of harvest due to pests or drought or flood, no natural disasters as earth quick, eruption of mount, or social riots causing damage of products and unpredictable addition distribution of food reserves, and damage to infrastructure and means of production in centers of food producing areas. But now, we hear, here and there drought threatens the producing areas. When the emergencies happen, the reserve will be used up within 24 days, as for to get the new yield of rice or replenish the reserves is needed 100 days to 110 days. Indonesia’s food security would be in danger.
This analysis is justified with the banned rice export by the Government. The discourse of rice exporting was initiated by the traders who wanted to get much profit out of the export for their own beneficial. In the beginning first half of this year, the export of rice was almost supported by the Minister of Commerce. Fortunately, the minister of Agriculture did not support the idea and rejected the Commerce Minister’s opinion. The price of rice in the international market is higher than in the domestic market. When they sell rice abroad, they will get much profit from the different price, but when Indonesian Government has to import rice, the government has to spend for subsidy price to keep the price as set as rice for the people in domestic market.
The intention of some Indonesian traders to deal rice export in the unstable rice harvest condition was somewhat unresponsible citizen, if we don’t dare to blame them as the corrupt economic thinkers.
The rice traders or exporter who wanted to sell Indonesian rice abroad were the economic agent who don’t have the responsible of national food security. They wanted to get much commercial margin without taking into consideration of the availability of food supply for their nation. They thought the tonnage of rice just in time of harvest and of several weeks afterwards. This consideration is contrary to the reasons in the head of an agriculturist. A farmer will think that the harvest is done only, at the soonest, every 4 months. A farmer may take decision to sell their Stock of Food when there is reserve for more than the period of planting.
Food is produced by farmer or those who living on agriculture sector. Food is one of the principle needs for people. In most of Asian and African people rice is the staple food. Developed or advanced or industrial countries have no problem with food, but it becomes a great problem for developing or underdeveloped countries. Many of them are in Asia and Africa continents and in central and south America. Riots and disorder in communities even often happen as the food is shortage. In Haiti, the Prime Minister was dismissed after food riot. Less publicized food riots happened in Egypt. The misery pictures and reports from Africa how people fight over the food, struggle or snatch away among their friends to get food distributed by United Nations officers or other International Chariry organization of Non Governmental Organizations.
Indonesia is vulnerable to a drop in rice production, and has a little rice reserve. The government has paid less and less attention to agriculture, hence agricultural production is not keeping pace with demand. Indonesia import many kinds of agricultural product to meet the domestic demand.
Winarno Tohir, a National Prominent Farmer and Fisherman Contact (Kontak Tani dan Nelayan Andalan, KTNA) (2008) analyzed the rice (food) problem in Indonesia, and he predicted there will be a shortage of rice in this year. His analysis; the area of arable land for food crop (rice ) cultivation per-capita is 531 m2 with the productivity per hectare 4.6 ton of husked rice (unmilled). So, the yield per-capita per annum is 228 kg. The rendament[1] of husked rice to unhusked (milled) rice is 63,5 % gaining 148 kg of milled rice per-capita. This figure of production is compared to the consumption per capita per annum of 139,15 kg resulting a rest of around 9 kg per-capita per year. Nine kilogram reserve is a very risky reserve.
To get a reserve of 9 kg per person if the condition is normal, there is no failures of harvest due to pests or drought or flood, no natural disasters as earth quick, eruption of mount, or social riots causing damage of products and unpredictable addition distribution of food reserves, and damage to infrastructure and means of production in centers of food producing areas. But now, we hear, here and there drought threatens the producing areas. When the emergencies happen, the reserve will be used up within 24 days, as for to get the new yield of rice or replenish the reserves is needed 100 days to 110 days. Indonesia’s food security would be in danger.
This analysis is justified with the banned rice export by the Government. The discourse of rice exporting was initiated by the traders who wanted to get much profit out of the export for their own beneficial. In the beginning first half of this year, the export of rice was almost supported by the Minister of Commerce. Fortunately, the minister of Agriculture did not support the idea and rejected the Commerce Minister’s opinion. The price of rice in the international market is higher than in the domestic market. When they sell rice abroad, they will get much profit from the different price, but when Indonesian Government has to import rice, the government has to spend for subsidy price to keep the price as set as rice for the people in domestic market.
The intention of some Indonesian traders to deal rice export in the unstable rice harvest condition was somewhat unresponsible citizen, if we don’t dare to blame them as the corrupt economic thinkers.
The rice traders or exporter who wanted to sell Indonesian rice abroad were the economic agent who don’t have the responsible of national food security. They wanted to get much commercial margin without taking into consideration of the availability of food supply for their nation. They thought the tonnage of rice just in time of harvest and of several weeks afterwards. This consideration is contrary to the reasons in the head of an agriculturist. A farmer will think that the harvest is done only, at the soonest, every 4 months. A farmer may take decision to sell their Stock of Food when there is reserve for more than the period of planting.
0 komentar:
Post a Comment