InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Ombudsman Indonesian Repubolic was sorry for the realization of subsidized fertilizer until 9 August 2024. From the allocation that reached 9,55 million tons, only 4,3 million tons or about 41,95% were purchased.
Yeka Hendra Fatika of Ombudsman thought the less absorption would potentially have something to realize the targets in Ministry of Agriculture to increase food production nationally.
He said the late publication of decision of allocation by heads of regency/city/province would be one of many factors to purchase the subsidized fertilizers. Information about the additional allocation - 9,55 million tons, was justed getting response by the farmers/smallholders by June 2024. This made it slower to get.
Besides, the worry from distributors and subsidized fertilizer groceries, made it less to be got. They significantly faced issues, such as, the increasing correction that reached 19.000 tons that should be sold in the first semester in 2024, while in 2023, they were targeted to sell 4.000 tons in the same period.
Ombudsman also noted, about 954.000 farmers/smallholders that got allocation in the subsidized fertilizers, did not pay in the past three years. This was one factor why subsidized fertilizers were less to be purchased.
As InfoSAWIT quoted from one official information, Wednesday (28/8/2024), Yeka Hendra Fatika said that the government still has four months to go to increase subsidized fertilizer distribution. It needs to substitute technical points and ways to solve the verification issues that became the main issues to pay. One is by having consideration about ID use as the official identity to ease the smallholders/farmers to pay it all, substituting the digital signature that always becomes an issue.
Ombudsman also encouraged that the smallholders would get representative to pay subsidized fertilizers to the groups/families with clear payment evidence or simple procuration with no additional payment.
It means the ways to increase subsidized fertilizer distribution should be effective and efficient to confirm the optimal supports for agricultural productivity nationally, just like the related parties’ aspirations. (T2)
