COMMITMENT in realizing national sugar self-sufficiency must be accompanied by strengthening farmers. Therefore, sugar self-sufficiency has an impact on increasing farmers’ welfare.
“We must synergize to achieve sugar self-sufficiency. The ecosystem is very important because we cannot act alone, from seeds, fertilizers, funding from banks, to sugar factories as off takers. The most important thing is that achieving sugar self-sufficiency is accompanied by strengthening farmers by helping them access capital, seeds, and production facilities,” explained the Finance Director of PT Sinergi Gula Nusantara (SGN), a subsidiary of PTPN III Holding Perkebunan, Hariyanto.
Previously, SGN President Director Mahmudi said that more than 80% of the supply of raw materials for his sugar factory’s sugar cane is farmers’ sugar cane, so his party sees the need for a strategy to strengthen the position of sugar cane farmers, including increasing sugar cane productivity to strengthening the profit sharing system (SBH) pattern which has been the spirit of the sugar factory’s partnership with farmers since long ago.
“The raw material for sugarcane is mostly from farmers. Therefore, we must strengthen their position, including increasing sugarcane productivity which will have an effect on farmers’ income. The SBH partnership also benefits farmers. We also strengthen this so that they do not get caught in a transactional pattern by abandoning the quality of BBT,” he said.
One of the obstacles faced by sugarcane farmers is access and availability of inputs, including fertilizers needed by plants for the growth process and increased productivity. “Our land of around 6,500 hectares in almost all of Situbondo Regency has been covered by the Makmur Program (Let’s Advance People’s Business). We get a guarantee of genuine fertilizer and the process only takes two or three days. The price is competitive,” said Rolis Wikarsono, Chairman of the Indonesian Sugarcane Farmers Association (DPC APTRI) PG Pradjekan Branch.
PG Pradjekan’s partner farmers were the first sugarcane farmers to access the Makmur Program three years ago. The impact of the program is now being felt by farmers, in addition to guaranteed availability of fertilizer, increased productivity and increased farmer income. “This year’s increase in productivity is extraordinary, previously at 76 now at 110 tons per hectare, yields have increased, farmer income has also increased,” explained Mohammad Sholeh Kusuma, General Manager of PG Pradjekan.
The increase in productivity is considered quite significant, reaching 45% from the original 76 tons per hectare to 110 tons per hectare. The increase in yield reached 9.9% from 8.14% to 8.94%. As a result, farmers’ income increased from the original Rp53.4 million per hectare to Rp69.4 million per hectare. (Ant/Z-2)
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