Limpo informed that the President gave the instruction at a limited meeting held at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Thursday. The meeting was also attended by Vice President Ma'ruf Amin and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto.
“Today (Thursday), the President emphasized that organic fertilizers must be included again (as subsidized fertilizers). And the Agriculture Minister needs to immediately change Regulation Number 10 after all processes that have to be done quickly," he said at a press conference at the Presidential Palace Complex here.
The minister informed that President Widodo has instructed him to promptly revise the Agriculture Minister's Regulation Number 10 of 2022 on the procedures for determining the allocation and retail price ceiling of subsidized fertilizers in the agricultural sector.
In the regulation, which was stipulated on July 6, 2022, a change was made to the types of fertilizers that would be subsidized by the government.
Initially, there were six types of fertilizers that were subsidized by the government: ammonium sulfate (ZA), urea, SP-36, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), organic fertilizers, and liquid organic fertilizers. However, their number was reduced to only two types of fertilizers, namely urea and NPK.
On account of the limited availability of raw materials for fertilizers due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, the President has determined the support for the production of organic fertilizers.
According to Limpo, Widodo has called for the centralization of organic fertilizers by reviving all organic fertilizer producers, both at the community and micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) levels.
“The President decided the support that organic fertilizers, fertilizer producers, must continue to be accommodated," the minister said.
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Translator: Mentari Dwi, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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