ID :
32638
Thu, 11/27/2008 - 16:09
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/32638
The shortlink copeid
SELLING SUBSIDIZED FERTILIZER OVER SET PRICE DEEMED AS CRIME
Surabaya, Nov 26 (ANTARA) - The Director General for Food Crops of the Agriculture Ministry, Sutarto Alimoeso, reaffirmed that selling subsidized fertilizer at higher than its ceiling price would be deemed a crime.
"Whoever sells it at higher than the ceiling price is to be categorized as a criminal. The problem is whether the violators have to be punished or not," he said after a dialogue with Lamongan district administration officials here on Wednesday.
Sutarto Alimoesa was reported to greatly welcome the step taken by Lamongan district head Masfuk to coordinate with local authority on the possible punishment of violators.
"At present, the price of organic fertilizer is Rp1000 per kg, while that of unorganic fertilizer, namely urea was Rp1,200 per kilo. A slight difference in price was reported to have caused difficulty to farmers to shift to organic fertilizer," he said.
He said that a difference in price has come up as a problem and therefore next year the price of organic fertilizer will be lowered to Rp500 per kilo.
Regarding disappearance of fertilizer on the market, Sutarto said the government had prepared short term steps to be taken to overcome the rarity by relocating the allocation of fertilizer among the regions.
As farmers enter the planting season, they are complaining about the disappearance of fertilizers, with an increasing call for law enforcers to take action against distributors who may be hoarding subsidized commodities.
Thousands of farmers went on the streets and staged protests at the Kediri regency administration compound on Friday and Saturday, demanding that local government take action against fertilizer distributors and retailers who closed their shops over the last two weeks.
Mashuri, a farmer from Wates village who joined the protest, said the farmers were disappointed when finding all fertilizer stores closed in the regency while they were in dire need of fertilizers for their newly-planted farmland.
Entering the rainy season, most farmers were planting paddy seedlings at the same time since their local farmlands are not well-irrigated.
But the regency administration denied the allegation on hoarding and said the provincial government and fertilizer companies have cut supplies to the regency due to the increasing demand on the domestic market.
"Whoever sells it at higher than the ceiling price is to be categorized as a criminal. The problem is whether the violators have to be punished or not," he said after a dialogue with Lamongan district administration officials here on Wednesday.
Sutarto Alimoesa was reported to greatly welcome the step taken by Lamongan district head Masfuk to coordinate with local authority on the possible punishment of violators.
"At present, the price of organic fertilizer is Rp1000 per kg, while that of unorganic fertilizer, namely urea was Rp1,200 per kilo. A slight difference in price was reported to have caused difficulty to farmers to shift to organic fertilizer," he said.
He said that a difference in price has come up as a problem and therefore next year the price of organic fertilizer will be lowered to Rp500 per kilo.
Regarding disappearance of fertilizer on the market, Sutarto said the government had prepared short term steps to be taken to overcome the rarity by relocating the allocation of fertilizer among the regions.
As farmers enter the planting season, they are complaining about the disappearance of fertilizers, with an increasing call for law enforcers to take action against distributors who may be hoarding subsidized commodities.
Thousands of farmers went on the streets and staged protests at the Kediri regency administration compound on Friday and Saturday, demanding that local government take action against fertilizer distributors and retailers who closed their shops over the last two weeks.
Mashuri, a farmer from Wates village who joined the protest, said the farmers were disappointed when finding all fertilizer stores closed in the regency while they were in dire need of fertilizers for their newly-planted farmland.
Entering the rainy season, most farmers were planting paddy seedlings at the same time since their local farmlands are not well-irrigated.
But the regency administration denied the allegation on hoarding and said the provincial government and fertilizer companies have cut supplies to the regency due to the increasing demand on the domestic market.
