ID :
20442
Sun, 09/21/2008 - 15:00
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/20442
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GOVT MULLING FERTILIZER SUBSIDY CUT
Bojonegoro, Sept 20 (ANTARA) - The government is considering the possibility of reducing its fertilizer subsidy and using the saved funds to set up compost management units in rural areas, Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said here on Saturday.
"The government is thinking of reducing the fertilizer subsidy because it amounts to Rp14 trillion per year," Apriyantono said in a dialog at Al Ma'un mosque.
On the occasion the minister was accompanied by Food Crop Director General Sutanto Ali Moeso, head of the East Java Agriculture office Eko Wibowo, and Bojonegoro district head Suyoto.
The minister said if the fertilizer subsidy was reduced by Rp7 trillion, the saved funds could be used to set up around 7,000 compost management units it rural areas at the cost of Rp100 million per unit.
"In so doing the problem of fertilizer can be solved," the minister said, adding that the official retail price of fertilizer was Rp1,200 per kilogram but in the field it was Rp6,000 to Rp8,000 per kilogram.
However, Anton said the government would for the time being maintain the fertilizer subsidy in an effort to improve the farmers economy.
"But in reality the government is considering reducing the fertilizer subsidy and use the saved funds to make organic fertilizer," he said.
Meanwhile, Bojonegoro district head Suyoto said his administration was proposing the central government to get additional fertilizer allocation in this year's planting season.
He said 50,000 tons of fertilizer allocated by central government to Bojonegoro district was not enough because the actual need of fertilizer for 70,000 hectares of rice field in the district this year was more than 68,000 tons.
The agriculture minister was in Bojonegoro to inspect various productive business activities of Muhammadiyah orphanages such as cow breeding, paddy planting with organic fertilizer, biogas, and crispy chips management units.
"The government is thinking of reducing the fertilizer subsidy because it amounts to Rp14 trillion per year," Apriyantono said in a dialog at Al Ma'un mosque.
On the occasion the minister was accompanied by Food Crop Director General Sutanto Ali Moeso, head of the East Java Agriculture office Eko Wibowo, and Bojonegoro district head Suyoto.
The minister said if the fertilizer subsidy was reduced by Rp7 trillion, the saved funds could be used to set up around 7,000 compost management units it rural areas at the cost of Rp100 million per unit.
"In so doing the problem of fertilizer can be solved," the minister said, adding that the official retail price of fertilizer was Rp1,200 per kilogram but in the field it was Rp6,000 to Rp8,000 per kilogram.
However, Anton said the government would for the time being maintain the fertilizer subsidy in an effort to improve the farmers economy.
"But in reality the government is considering reducing the fertilizer subsidy and use the saved funds to make organic fertilizer," he said.
Meanwhile, Bojonegoro district head Suyoto said his administration was proposing the central government to get additional fertilizer allocation in this year's planting season.
He said 50,000 tons of fertilizer allocated by central government to Bojonegoro district was not enough because the actual need of fertilizer for 70,000 hectares of rice field in the district this year was more than 68,000 tons.
The agriculture minister was in Bojonegoro to inspect various productive business activities of Muhammadiyah orphanages such as cow breeding, paddy planting with organic fertilizer, biogas, and crispy chips management units.
