NU expected to be pioneer of agriculture corporation

Jakarta, NU Online
As the country’s largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is expected to be a pioneer in establishing farmer owned enterprises (BUMP). This corporation is aimed at giving more opportunity to provide new breakthrough in increasing farmers’ profit.

The statement was raised in a public dialogue entitled “Distribution system of Subsiding Fertilizer Empowering Farmers, Producers, and National Food Endurance”, organized by the Central Board of Economic Institution of Nahdlatul Ulama (LPNU) in Jakarta, Wednesday (28/6).

Deputy State Minister for State Enterprises, who is also deputy chairman of LPNU Agus Pakpahan in his speech said, NU had a very big social capital and became importantly power to increase farmers’ standard living. One of NU social capitals was the spirit of mutual cooperation.

“We have not yet considered social capital as a real one. Spirit of mutual cooperation as the NU social capital might be an important one to build BUMP. Farmers, in turn can no longer work alone,” Pakpahan said.

Any new technology in agriculture, according to Pakpahan, should be implemented especially within agricultural organizations. Dealing with the corn planting, for instance, there is now a new technology that has been developed in Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), so-called as “Technology of Earthenware Flask (kendi)”, representing a common irrigation system with double profit.

At the same time, Manager of Market Development PT Pupuk Sriwijaya Ir. Subhan argued, the BUMP could serve as farmer groups that could also be a solution in overcoming difficulties of distribution of the recent subsiding fertilizer. The groups could distribute the fertilizers to their own members by breaking down Definitive Plan of Group Interest (RDKK).

“At present the distribution system of subsiding fertilizer is still uncontrolled following the acts of retailing storehouse to individuals. Many corruptions take place in it. If we employ closed system, the farmer groups can expectedly take fertilizers from retailers with subsiding fertilizer prices as set up by (HET), Subhan added. (nam)