"It is important to increase the number of spice plantations, although it is not necessary to do so through large-scale businesses such as cocoa and oil palm plantations," the minister said in the first International Conference on Spices in the Maluku provincial city of Ambon on Monday evening.
Agung noted that there should be a national movement to encourage the public to develop various kinds of spices, similar to what is being carried out in cocoa, tea, and oil palm plantations.
Agung has urged Agriculture Minister Suswono to implement Law No.18/2004 on plantations by issuing a government regulation to strengthen the Indonesian Spices Council (DRI).
DRI is an organisation that brings together various stakeholders, including farmers associations pertaining to pepper, cloves, tobacco, vanilla, shallots, and garlic.
The aim of DRI is to increase the number of farmers growing spices and related stakeholders in Indonesia.
According to Agung, spices have high economic value in world markets, but ironically, spice farmers in Indonesia have not been prosperous.
"Therefore spice commodities should be the mainstay of farmers to improve their welfare," the minister noted.
(O001/INE/KR-BSR/F001)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
