The synergy between the two institutions was established during a meeting between Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman and Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin in Jakarta on Monday.
Sulaiman explained that his ministry is coordinating with the AGO as the food self-sufficiency program must be implemented as soon as possible to meet domestic food needs.
He highlighted that the program receives a budget of Rp30 trillion (around US$1.87 billion) and must provide benefits to farmer groups. However, so far, he noted that complaints have still been received from farmers.
The minister drew attention to cases where certain parties had asked farmers to pay Rp3 million (around US$187.3) for agricultural equipment President Prabowo had instructed to provide for free.
In addition, the issue of fertilizers is a matter of concern for the Ministry of Agriculture.
The minister noted that fertilizer subsidies will increase by 100 percent compared to 2023, reaching around Rp50 trillion (around US$3.12 billion).
He noted that this large budget requires supervision to achieve food self-sufficiency.
He further pointed to fake fertilizers distributed to farmers, causing losses of approximately Rp3.2 trillion (around US$199.8 million). He affirmed that the Ministry of Agriculture had sent four perpetrators of fake fertilizers to law enforcement institutions.
"This harms not only the country but also our farmers, approximately 100 thousand people," he emphasized.
Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin stated that the AGO will fully support law enforcement efforts regarding the findings, including the cases of fake fertilizers.
"We will collect data first. You know who I am. I will not show favoritism," he stressed.
Related news: Ministry supporting food sufficiency via social forestry
Related news: Ministry, TNI collaborate to accelerate food self-sufficiency
Translator: Nadia Putri, Raka Adji
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
