Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has vowed to streamline the country’s agricultural supply chain by eliminating layers of middleman or intermediaries that he says have long disadvantaged farmers and hindered productivity.
President Prabowo Subianto reaffirmed his commitment to cutting red tape in the agricultural sector and ensuring that state budget benefits are delivered directly to the people, particularly farmers.
He stated his ambition for Indonesia to achieve food and energy self-sufficiency, citing United Nations data that highlight food security as a key indicator of national strength in the future.
Prabowo expressed concern over the declining interest in agriculture among Indonesians, saying many perceive the sector as unprofitable. He argued that farmers who should be the backbone of national food security have instead become victims of a system that fails to protect their interests.
Meanwhile, the president emphasized that current inefficiencies, particularly in fertilizer distribution, have added an unnecessary barriers for farmers. He warned that multiple layers of bureaucracy and middlemen only add to the cost and reduce farmers’ profits.
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Therefore, the President called for sweeping reforms in the agriculture sector, including cutting complicated bureaucratic system and removing brokers from the distribution of fertilizers and other farming inputs.
“We have to make everything more efficient, our fields, our rice paddies, and all agricultural land,” Prabowo said at his residence in Hambalang, West Java (April 5), as reported by CNN Indonesia. “We must make it easier for our farmers. There are too many permits, too many signatures, and too many brokers.”
Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman noted that streamlining the licensing process and improving fertilizer distribution are among the policies having the most tangible impact on farmers.
Direct Distribution of Fertilizer
During a rice harvest ceremony in Majalengka, West Java, on Monday (April 7), Prabowo reiterated his stance against agricultural middlemen, particularly in fertilizer distribution. He instructed that fertilizers be delivered directly to farmer cooperatives (Gapoktan), bypassing third-party agents.
“Fertilizer should be quickly available at the cooperatives. No more excessive middlemen or profiteering traders,” he said. “I support the suggestion made by one of the farmers earlier—that distribution should go straight to the Gapoktan. We will work on making that happen.”
The move is part of Prabowo’s broader effort to overhaul the agricultural system by cutting bureaucratic red tape and middleman to restore farming as a viable and respected livelihood in the world’s fourth-most populous nation.
(Raidi/Agung)
