are we really an agriculture country

Sektor Pertanian Berjalan Mundur

Anggaran Deptan Tidak Efektif

Jumat, 17 April 2009 | 04:36 WIB

Jakarta, Kompas – Pembangunan pertanian dalam lima tahun terakhir berjalan mundur. Departemen Pertanian kehilangan visi jangka panjang dalam membangun sektor pertanian dan terjebak pada penanganan masalah yang serba mendesak.

”Sudah lama kita mengembangkan pemikiran membangun sistem dan usaha agrobisnis dengan membangun sektor hulu-hilir dan jasa penunjang secara bersama-sama, tetapi tidak berlanjut. Konsentrasi pembangunan pertanian lima tahun terakhir hanya pada tingkat on farm,” kata mantan Mentan Bungaran Saragih pada workshop bertema ”Mencari Alternatif Pembiayaan Pertanian”, Kamis (16/4)

Menurut Bungaran, karena kehilangan visi jangka panjang, pembangunan pertanian akhirnya terjebak dan bersifat musiman. ”Ketika ada banjir dan kekeringan terkejut, ada impor atau ekspor ramai. Masalah pertanian jangka panjang tidak menjadi prioritas,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Dirjen Anggaran Departemen Keuangan Anny Ratnawati mengungkapkan, anggaran untuk sektor pertanian ada dan alokasinya juga besar. Hanya pemanfaatan anggaran itu yang masih belum optimal.

Data Ditjen Anggaran menunjukkan, alokasi anggaran untuk belanja pupuk tahun 2009 sebesar Rp 17,5 triliun atau naik sekitar Rp 15,5 triliun dibandingkan tahun 2005. Anggaran subsidi benih tahun ini naik menjadi Rp 1,3 triliun dari tahun 2005 yang hanya Rp 120 miliar.

Pengeluaran anggaran

Alokasi anggaran untuk kegiatan bantuan sosial Deptan naik dari Rp 217 miliar tahun 2005 menjadi Rp 3,2 triliun tahun 2009. Subsidi kredit ketahanan pangan dan energi juga naik dari Rp 167 miliar menjadi Rp 843 miliar. Total anggaran untuk pertanian bahkan mencapai Rp 40 triliun tahun ini.

”Pertanyaannya, pengeluaran anggaran berlipat-lipat itu komparabel atau tidak dengan produktivitas dan produksi pertanian. Karena ini akan ditanya masyarakat,” katanya.

Deptan pernah meminta anggaran untuk subsidi kredit pembibitan sapi Rp 1 triliun. ”Ketika disediakan dananya, mereka menawar agar Rp 1 triliun untuk lima tahun saja. Lalu menawar turun menjadi Rp 250 miliar, tetap tidak bisa, akhirnya minta Rp 145 miliar saja. Bayangkan coba!” ujar Anny. (MAS)

Indonesian Agriculture not moving ? my take …..

The outline of Indonesia agriculture development  program on the government book  has been about creating an impression of  “sucess” in one term of Minister Duty.

Ever since BIMAS, INMAS, INSUS , KUT ,  and whole a lot other program mainly based on financing, one or two season ,  increasing production and campaign about it ……. booom , sucess.

For the last ten years, money, money , money, capital,  in form of  lending, or even free gift , its all about money.    I would not talk about the ‘deviation, numbers or manipulations …, thats already a public secret !.

The current situation is mainly because the higly political related position that tied to the position of Minister of Agriculture.   When a new MOA come, they will create a new program, new parameters  and forgot to evaluate old program ,  forget to really search for the real root of a strong agriculture country.

Where are the infrastucture ?, have the goveremnt manage to improve the coverage of irigation ?, have the goverment have a long term plan of what are the commodities to focus on, have they support the development with new applicable simple technology for the farmer, have the goverment support the farmer with the soil fertility data, climate data, mappings etc.

Do the farmers have the assurance of continues supply of high quality seed, fertilizers, do the farmer have information from the industry ?, of what and when are the commodities needed.

I know somehow thoose are already adress in goverment development program, but my question remain the same,  are we looking for sucess parameters based on single season or one year ? then bragg about it ? rather than a continues independent plan for the better live of farmer  sustainably ?.

We are exporting Rice !

We were told that Indonesia is self sufficient in Rice this year, and it has been claimed by many stake holders that its a success of “me”.   Initially the export were not allowed with the reason that Indonesia self sufficiency is endangered.     I have always been a fan of the market driven economy that Farmer are free people, they have every right to choose and decide.  If the farmer could get higher price from exporter then let them enjoy it, they can later bought cheaper rice , and they still make money out of it.

Finally this news came, good forthe farmer, but still how can we make sure that the farmer enjoy the margin , not fully taken by the exporter.

From Bisnis.com

Rabu, 01/04/2009 20:38

WIB Pemerintah resmi izinkan swasta ekspor beras premium.

Maria Y. Benyamin JAKARTA(Bisnis.com):

Pemerintah resmi membuka kran ekspor beras premium bagi swasta melalui penerbitan Peraturan Menteri Perdagangan (Permendag) No.13/2009 tertanggal 30 Maret 2009 tentang Ketentuan Ekspor dan Impor Beras. Sebelumnya, izin ekspor beras premium hanya diberikan kepada Bulog. Dengan rencana ekspor beras mulai bulan ini, Departemen Perdagangan dan Departemen Pertanian membuka kesempatan bagi calon eksportir untuk mengajukan permohonan dalam periode waktu yang ditetapkan, yakni sejak 6 April hingga 15 April, agar segera mendapatkan alokasi ekspor yang diperkirakan akan keluar pada minggu keempat bulan ini. Dirjen Perdagangan Luar Negeri Departemen Perdagangan Diah Maulida mengatakan Permendag No.13/2009 tersebut merupakan revisi dari Permendag sebelumnya, yakni Permendag No.12/2008. “Permendag baru tersebut hanya merubah sedikit Permendag sebelumnya terkait pelaksana ekspor beras premium. Kami memperkenankan ekspor beras premium bisa dilakukan BUMN, BUMN, dan swasta. Ini berarti mereka bisa jalan sendiri-sendiri atau bisa juga kerja sama,” ujarnya. Diah menjelaskan peraturan baru tersebut pada dasarnya mengatur mekanisme ekspor beras, di mana eksportir mengajukan permohonan terlebih dahulu ke Departemen Pertanian untuk dievaluasi dan memperoleh rekomendasi. Setelah itu, pemohon dapat mengajukan ke Depdag dengan melampirkan rekomendasi yang diperoleh dari Deptan tersebut. Menurut Diah, Depdag memberi kesempatan yang sama kepada semua pelaku ekspor untuk mengajukan permohonan, guna menjamin terciptanya iklim persaingan yang sehat. Apabila dalam jangka waktu yang ditetapkan alokasi ekspor 100.000 ton belum terserap sepenuhnya, Departemen Perdagangan akan membuka lagi kesempatan bagi calon eksportir. “Kita akan lihat apabila setelah kita tutup baru terpakai 40.000 ton kita akan buka lagi karena kita tidak mau ada moral hazard di dalam pembagian kuotanya. Kami akan sangat hati-hati,” tegasnya. (mfm)

Disinformation is a bussiness

Monsanto set the record straight on yields Misinformation and Setting the Record Straight Irresponsible journalists and activists continue to misrepresent data and claim that GM crops actually reduce yields. For example, Geoffrey Lean recently published a story in the UK newspaper The Independent entitled Exposed: ( the Great GM Crops Mythhttp://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/exposed-the-great-gm-crops-myth-812179.html) . Lean concluded that yields were lower with GM crops based in large part on a study published by Dr. Barney Gordon of Kansas State University.

Lean failed to understand or explain that the purpose of Gordon’s research was not to examine yields, but to look at how certain GM soybean varieties respond to manganese levels. Dr. Gordon has since published a response which characterizes the article as “a gross misrepresentation of my research and a good example of irresponsible journalism”. Despite Dr. Gordon’s clarification and statements, some anti-GMO activists continue to reference the Gordon study and the Lean article as evidence of lower yields with GMOs.

Dr. Mae Wan Ho of the Institute for Science in Society cited the Gordon study as evidence that biotech crops do not increase yields. The Center for Food Safety also referenced the study as evidence of decreased yields. Monsanto and other agricultural technology companies continue to improve germplasm, and to develop GM traits that are designed to directly increase yield, and more. In 2009, Monsanto will release a line of soybeans that has been shown in field trials to increase yields by 7-11 percent. We’ve made a public commitment to double yields in key crops by 2030. Equally important to increasing yield, we’ve committed to doing so with one-third fewer resources, such as fertilizer and water, per unit of output

from  http://gmopundit.blogspot.com/

Harvest season, will it be different this time ?

Kamis, 05/03/2009 17:58 WIB

Depdag belum izinkan ekspor beras super

oleh : Sepudin Zuhri & Maria Y. Benyamin

JAKARTA (bisnis.com): Departemen Perdagangan belum mengizinkan ekspor beras premium yang diajukan oleh Perum Bulog sebanyak 10.000 ton per bulan.

Dirjen Perdagangan Luar Negeri Depdag Diah Maulida mengatakan pada dasarnya selama ini ekspor beras khusus telah berjalan dalam jumlah kecil yakni jenis ketan hitam.

“Masih akan dirapatkan di Kementerian Koordinator Perekonomian [Menko]. Kalau beras medium masih menunggu Angka ramalan III [Aram III],” ujarnya hari ini.

Menurut Diah, berdasarkan peraturan Menteri Perdagangan, ekspor beras boleh dilakukan pada saat panen yakni mulai April-Mei. Bulog telah mengajukan ekspor beras super sebanyak 10.000 ton per bulan atau 100.000 ton per tahun.

Sementara itu, produksi beras Aram I BPS naik sebesar 1,13% menjadi 60,9 juta ton dibandingkan dengan tahun sebelumnya. Bayu Krisnamurthi, Deputi Bidang Pertanian dan Kelautan Menko Perekonomian mengatakan produksi gabah tahun ini diperkirakan hanya sebesar 2%. (tw)

The Ministry of Commercial had not allowed the export of 10,000 tons per month premium class rice that Perum Bulog propose yet. This matter still will be a meeting material at Ministry of Economic Coordinator, says Director General of Foreign Trade Affair Ministry of Trade Diah Maulida.

According to Diah, based on the regulations the Minister of Trade, rice exports may be done at the time of harvest began April to May.

My take is simple, if farmers wanted to take full benefit of their effort why we deny that, let them enjoy their effort.    Somehow, I also see it will not be enjoyed by the farmer its just a trade process, trading company, exporter will enjoy the most.

Neighbour ‘been running , we’re still thinking…

More Product hits market in Phillipine by 2012

plant scientist

Written by Manuel T. Cayon / Reporter

Wednesday, 25 February 2009 21:04

DAVAO CITY—Three modified crops, including rice, resistant to common pests will hit the domestic market in the next three years. Other biotech crops are being tested in the Mindanao campus of the University of the Philippines (UP). “These are the things that we can expect in the field of biotechnology in the Philippines,” said Dr. Eufemio Rasco, a Cornell University-schooled plant breeder, in a presentation before agriculture scientists and experts and students at UP Mindanao here. Rasco foresees the Philippines in a leading role in the application of traditional biotechnology using new materials. He said the domestic market would see the commercial production of a variety of Khak Nuan papaya, genetically modified (GM) to resist the common pest ringspot, as well as an eggplant variety modified to resist fruit and shoot borers, and the GM rice called Golden Rice. He said the modified crops would add to the four already in the market, the controversial GT corn, soybeans, cotton and canola. “We can expect these three modified products to be commercially produced in the next three years,” said Rasco, a professor of plant breeding at UP Mindanao. He said the private sector is “also talking about its own multiple stacked genes in corn, about eight of them,” despite the controversy generated by its well-publicized experiments in Tampakan, South Cotabato, in 2002. In UP here, Rasco has led the field experiments in sago, which has multiple uses in food production, and the pitcher plant, eyed mainly for its ornamental use. He said the experiments have been done in the last 12 years. From sago, a kind of palm, starch could be derived as flour substitute in baking and other industrial uses, and lactic acid. The pitcher plant, growing well in the northern hinterland of this city, has its leaves forming like a pitcher. He said he is also experimenting on a plant called nepenthes, which exhibits the unique characteristic of being a cross between a plant and an animal. “It grows like other plants would but it also feeds on other plants, a different kind of ‘plant-animal’ hybrid,” he said. The plant could become a new platform for genetic engineering. “We may hijack its own sap to determine why it eats on other plants, while growing as a plant,” Rasco explained. Nepenthes is an ornamental plant, “and biotechnology could help save this plant—endemic in the Philippines—from extinction.” “Yes, this is an endangered species,” he said. “These are our achievements in plant biotechnology: seed propagation media, hydropriming biology of flowering and seed production, in-vitro cutting propagation, callus and regeneration, plant growing media, acclimatization, selling of in-vitro seedlings and selling of clones,” he added. Contrary to common perceptions, however, “what we are using here in the Philippines is still the traditional kind of biotechnology, but we are using new materials,” Rasco added. “It’s an impression that we are using modern biotechnology,” he said. In developed economies, scientists use gene-splicing, or genetic engineering and protoplast fusion, or, “in general, any technique that forces unnatural or horizontal DNA transfer.” Although modern technology also “uses DNA markers to establish paternity, solve crimes and diagnose diseases, plant breeding and studying evolution still [are a] part of traditional biotechnology,” according to Rasco. “Currently, traditional biotechnology dominates, contrary to what is being impressed on the public,” Rasco explained. “Application of modern biotechnology is still limited; in a crop agriculture, for instance, out of about 250,000 plant species, only four major crops were subject to genetic modification: corn, cotton, soybeans and canola.” He said current uses of traditional biotechnology are in food processing and production, biomedical applications such as drugs and vaccines, and in industrial applications such as cleaning agents. “The oldest is food processing and food production, and, would you believe, wine is the first product and the microorganisms are the first workhorses,” he added. “Mind you, but we can be leaders in the world of traditional biotechnology using new materials,” he said. “We can only be followers in modern biotechnology.”

Biotechnology, its easier to talk about the negative but…….

Safe Biotech Foods On Our Plates

“Genetic modification of crops is not some kind of witchcraft; rather, it is the progressive harnessing of the forces of nature to the benefit of feeding the human race.”

Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Biotechnology is BIO – TECHNOLOGY , how scary could BIO be , how scary could technology be ?, for sure it could be as scary as serial killer from texas, of FREDDY KRUGGER , as in Indonesia it could be as scary as ‘Tali Pocong Perawan” or Kuntilanak Beranak Pinak…”.

Opponents of the technology could find ways of “directing opinion” and “magnifying  perception” , and in no time some people could easily see it as “ALIEN from outer space trying to take over the world”.   An orchestrated effort of  Multinational company enslavement in the modern world.  I could o on and on.  Apparantly one thing many of the opponents forgot, its all about science…

If science can invented things,can improve things, than science coudl be use to evaluate things, predicts thing, using super complicated statistical analysis or even a simple accute test.

I am for science, and if somebody said or claim that “unquestionably out of the discussion , decided scientifically no more discussion” then I would say ….who are you to tell the science to stop and accept.  Science does not monopolized by one side, sceince is evolving, people evolving,…..

So if somebody felt the right of  telling farmers that only certain things better, only ‘this kind’ of farming is better…then I would say, you are not doing the farmer a favour.  Give the farmer choices, let them decide what good for them,  let the scienctist  do their work evaluating ,  Dont tell me that I live in a life full of sin because working for multinational company that is going to enslave the farmers…..

I was crying……

that night

Have you ever see closely , when the one you love passed away in front of you.

It was a a felling that you can never describe , no matter how good you are with words, no matter how poetic you are,  its just undefined.

I can still remember my mom clearly as I accompany her to the blood “laundry”,  She was just a very strong woman, She will always try to smile whenever I visited her while dong the dialysis, even though every body know its a pain full experience.

God please let me have longer time to be with her , that’s what came up of my deepest though every time I drive out of the office heading to the hospital to pick her up after the dialysis.

I would then hold her , pick her from her wheel chair , and sit her down in the car, she always try to stand and sit on her own even though i know she would not strong enough to stand from her wheel chair.  Those were the most difficult times of life, I just lost , knowing that the time may not last ….

One early morning around four , after sleeping in the hospital , I was driving alone and praying ..God give strenght.    I would then go to the office and rush back around 16:30 to the hospital, as during those time her condition dropping , I just knew …..

A frantic phone call I got  from my sister just when I arrived at the office , …..Pal mother passed away, I though i will be strong, I though I am gonna pray, but instead all I can do just crying…… that was my first time I cried like a little child in front of my friends in the office.

…..to be continued

Because of me….not you !

Parpol Bingung Isu Pertanian

Kesejahteraan Petani Baru Menjadi Wacana

.

KOMPAS , Kamis, 19 Februari 2009 | 00:11 WIB

Andreas Maryoto

Partai Golkar menyatakan tahun ini akan mengekspor beras. Partai Demokrat menyebutkan harga sejumlah komoditas pangan telah diturunkan. Partai Gerindra mencitrakan diri sebagai partai pembela petani. PDI Perjuangan menjanjikan akan menurunkan harga pangan.

Setiap partai tak ketinggalan membawa masalah pangan dan pertanian dalam setiap kampanye. Maklum saja petani yang mencapai sekitar 70 persen penduduk Indonesia merupakan massa terbesar. Mereka menjadi target massa potensial. Namun, hingga sekarang belum ada partai politik (parpol) yang menggarap isu pertanian secara konsisten.

”Saya mempertanyakan kebenaran pernyataan partai-partai itu,” kata analis ekonomi pertanian dari UGM, Prof M Maksum.

Apalagi, hingga saat ini tidak ada proses politik yang bisa digunakan untuk menuntut janji-janji mereka itu. Petani juga belum memiliki cara untuk menuntut janji tersebut. Akibatnya parpol bisa leluasa mengumbar janji.

Pernyataan parpol soal pangan dan pertanian memang masih harus diuji. Tidak sedikit pernyataan mereka malah membingungkan dan kontradiktif.

Misalnya, komitmen harga pangan murah (yang menguntungkan masyarakat perkotaan) akan bertabrakan dengan kepentingan petani (yang berada di pedesaan) yang berharap harga komoditas pertanian membaik.

Apabila ada partai yang bangga dengan prestasi menurunkan harga, ada dua hal yang patut dipertanyakan. Pertama, penurunan harga sejumlah komoditas tercapai karena harga internasional turun. Kedua, penurunan harga dipastikan merugikan petani. Kita masih ingat petani menjerit akibat penurunan harga CPO dari Rp 1.500 per kilogram menjadi Rp 300 per kilogram.

”Partai politik sangat bias dalam hal ini. Setiap kali ada kenaikan harga, yang menjadi keluhan orang kota, lebih didengar dengan meluncurkan program pangan murah. Namun, keluhan petani sangat lamban direspons. Padahal petani tak pernah meminta harga mahal. Mereka hanya minta ketersediaan pupuk, benih, dan air yang tepat waktu,” kata Maksum.

Jargon Indonesia telah berswasembada juga harus dicermati dengan baik. Klaim partai yang berkuasa, swasembada bisa dicapai karena upaya mereka selama ini. Namun, dalam sejarah swasembada di Indonesia, pada tahun 1983 yang bisa meyakinkan kita kalau memang ada peningkatan signifikan setelah berbagai upaya dilakukan.

Klaim swasembada beras tahun 2008 sangat sulit dilihat sebagai keberhasilan pemerintahan saat itu. Cuaca pada musim kemarau yang cenderung basah lebih banyak menjadi faktor penentu keberhasilan produksi pangan. Hal ini juga pernah terjadi pada tahun 2003 saat Indonesia berhasil melepaskan diri dari impor beras. Saat itu musim kemarau cenderung basah.

Golkar Party has stated that this year they will export rice. The democrat party has said that many of the food commodity prices have been reduced. Many of the parties have promised in lowering food prices, since the agricultural industry is a main issue in the government. Population of farmers in Indonesia has reached to 70% of the local people.

Hence that, the reality is that most of the local parties are not consistently presuming this issue.

But is the solution in agriculture have to do with lowering commodity prices, since the fact of commodity prices to decline is because of the international prices of commodity is down which impacts on the loss of local farmers.

It has just become for them a bias view and a statement with no promises the people could hold on to.

Imagine  this : four or five little boy screaming to each other while pointing at the sun …saying sun shining because I wake up early this moring, the other boy would say its because I took a bath early, then the other boy said its because I took good breakfast.

Its hard to decide which party to choose this year, they all look like the same  claim, promises, promises ,and more promises…..

Campaign season …

Pertumbuhan Ekonomi Sektor Pertanian Bakal Meningkat Senin, 16 Februari 2009 | KOMPAS JAKARTA, SENIN — Pertumbuhan ekonomi pada sektor pertanian, pada triwulan pertama tahun 2009, mempunyai harapan meningkat. Hal tersebut dikatakan oleh Rusman Hariawan, kepala BPS. ”Dengan adanya panen raya yang akan terjadi pada bulan Maret mendatang, pertumbuhan ekonomi di sektor pertanian akan meningkat. Banjir tidak akan berpengaruh terlalu banyak,” jelas Rusman kepada para wartawan, di kantor BPS Jakarta, Senin (16/2). Meningkatnya pertumbuhan ekonomi pada sektor pertanian memberi dampak psikologis yang baik pada semester II dan III.’ ‘Jika pada semester I sudah memberikan pengaruh yang positif, maka pada semester selanjutnya akan positif juga,” jelas Rusman. Pada akhir triwulan, yaitu pada semester IV, biasanya sektor pertanian akan mengalami penurunan. “Ini seperti siklus saja. Pada semester ke IV, tahun 2008 kemaren, sektor pertanian mengalami penurunan yang cukup signifikan, sekitar minus 22,9 persen” tutur Rusman lagi.

I am confused, agriculuture significntly became a symbol of olitical, take alook at tv spot cmpain, all the cadidate talk about agriculture. sounds familiar ?. but is there anybody really.

Indonesia left behind again…

From KOMPAS Rabu, 11 Februari 2009 | 23:56 WIB

BANDUNG, RABU – Indonesia dinilai masih tertinggal dibanding negara lain dalam hal pengembangan bioteknologi.

“Masalah kerusakan lingkungan di Indonesia sudah dalam tahap memprihatinkan seharusnya menjadi tantangan Indonesia untuk mengembangkan bioteknologi,” kata Direktur Pusat Riset Bioteknologi Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI) Prof Dr Bambang Prasetyo pada Workshop dan Diskusi Bioteknologi di kampus Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad) Bandung seperti ditulis dalam website universitas itu, Rabu (11/2).

“Di Indonesia, kecenderungan yang terjadi jika pada musim kemarau, kering, sementara ketika musim hujan, banjir. Ini merupakan tantangan bagi kita untuk menerapkan bioteknologi, sehingga mampu mengembangkan produk yang ramah lingkungan,” kata Prof. Bambang yang juga Ketua Konsorsium Bioteknologi Indonesia.

Bioteknologi yang berpotensi dikembangkan di Indonesia meliputi bioteknologi pertanian, farmasi dan kesehatan, industri (bioproses), lingkungan, dan kelautan. Prof. Bambang yakin, apabila jeli melihat pasar akan ada peluang-peluang, terutama yang berkaitan dengan obat.

Kepada perguruan tinggi yang mengembangkan program studi bioteknologi dipesankan perlu adanya pendidikan yang terarah, infrastruktur yang mendukung, dunia usaha atau industri yang efisien, serta mengembangkan terus inovasi.

Faktor kunci pendukung inovasi adalah bergabung dengan “centralize” yang memiliki alat-alat laboratorium yang lengkap. “Jadi, tidak harus membeli satu per satu alat yang mahal,” katanya.

Dikatakan ketertinggalan Indonesia dalam pengembangan bioteknologi, karena keterlambatan bisa meyakinkan para petinggi negara untuk menyatukan sumber daya alam yang ada dengan ilmu pengetahuan.

“Untungnya saat ini pemerintah kita sudah memiliki kesadaran akan pentingnya penyatuan itu, namun justru kalangan ilmuwan kewalahan,” kata Prof Bambang mengutip pernyataan Wakil Presiden Jusuf Kalla pada suatu kesempatan.

Indonesia memiliki Sumber Daya Alam (SDA) melimpah sehingga dapat dikatakan tidak ada yang tak ada di Indonesia, begitu juga potensi fotosintesis yaitu tumbuhan hijau di Indonesia tiga kali lebih besar dari negara empat musim. “Namun uniknya, Indonesia masih saja mengimpor daging sapi,” katanya.

“Seorang petinggi dari Iran pernah bertanya pada saya dengan heran, mengapa Indonesia dengan kekayaan pepohonan hijau masih mengimpor daging sapi. Sementara negara Iran yang justru kering kerontang dapat mengekspor daging,” kata Prof. Bambang.

Again and again….., Indonesia left behind.  Read carefully , the main problem is to convince  the ‘decision maker in government’ that we should be able to work our abundant natural resources with technology .

I am asking a simple question here…., since when do the scientist need to convince the government in making decision.  The government need to support the scientist in what ever they do.  The government should be able to see that technology will help people.

Take Biotechnology for example , regulation has been there since 1999, but 10 years later…not a single decision made, no product available for farmer.  Who should convince the government ?.  Aren’t the government suppose to support  their researchers to come up with applicable technology, beneficial products ?.   The government should have faith on their list of expert, should believe the list of expert in the international organization , support the scientific base regulation and help farmer with choices so that they can improve their farming.

Are we going to be left behind, doing research just for the sake of research, importing products from other countries that have enjoyed the technology.  Agriculture Institute of Bogor where are thou ?.