State Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno, Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman, and Village, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Eko Putro Sandjojo have declared Sembalun as a garlic production center during their visit to the region on Wednesday.
Soemarno said in a statement that Sembalun had a remarkable potential to be developed as a garlic production center.
However, many farmers in the region have turned to other commodities that could be more profitable than garlic.
Indonesias garlic consumption has reached 400 thousand tons per year, while production has only amounted at 20,295 tons per year in 2,563 hectares of planting area.
"We are here to encourage Sembalun as a national garlic production center," she asserted.
During the visit, some state-run companies shared their commitment to distribute financial aid under its corporate social responsibility programs.
The state-run firms, including Mandiri Bank, BNI, BRI, BTN, Pupuk Indonesia, Angkasa Pura II, Sang Hyang Seri, Bulog and Pertani, and Jamkrindo, delivered a total Rp2.49 billion of CSR financial aid for Sembalun.
The minister noted that the ministry would support farmers to plant garlic in their lands and provide Farmers Card and small businesses loan (KUR) for them to increase production.
"For its marketing, state-run logistic agency Bulog would absorb their production so that farmers could get adequate profit. We hope that the aid could improve garlic farmers welfare here," she pointed out.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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