"The government`s plan to import sugar dashed the House`s hope for a change in the government`s policy to taking side with farmers," Ma`mur Hasanuddin of the House Commission IV on agricultural affairs said here on Monday.
Ma`mur said that the sugar import policy carried out by incumbent trade minister turned out to be the same as that of the former trade minister, Mari Elka Pangestu, which was not pro-farmers.
More ironical is the fact that the present trade minister is reinforced with a deputy who so far was known as a pro farmer/fishermen figure. In reality, however, his pro-farmers` attitude has changed.
"The people of Indonesia will not starve and face economic turmoil if the country is running short of sugar for three months," the legislator said.
He said that the government has (as it usually did) authorized a number of state firms to import sugar during the January-April 2012 period.
The government`s reason to import sugar has always been to cover the shortage of sugar supply at home before the milling season after the the January-April period.
He said that the government should maximize its alignments with sugar cane farmers.
After all, the institutional system of sugar cane in the agricultural sector is ideal for farmers. It is different from the institutional system of other crops such as cocoa or oil palm which are controlled by giant firms.
For this purpose, Ma`mur asked the government through the chief economic minister and the trade minister to review its sugar import policy which was always carried out in the first three months every year.
"The government should try not to import sugar to prove its alignments with farmers. We are convinced that the people would not suffer from hunger by not importing sugar. Now is the time for the government to show its alignments with farmers. One should not think of merely looking for benefit," he said.
(Uu.A014/H-AJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
