Amran Sulaiman, Menteri Pertanian Pertama RI yang Kunjungi STPP Gowa
Gowa Institute of Agriculture Extension in South Sulawesi Province
Editor : M. Achsan Atjo
Translator : Dhelia Gani
Gowa, Sulawesi Selatan (B2B) - Kunjungan Menteri Pertanian RI, Amran Sulaiman di Sekolah Tinggi Penyuluhan Pertanian (STPP) Gowa, Sulawesi Selatan yang berlokasi sekitar 30 km dari Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan disambut hangat oleh civitas academica, karena menjadi Menteri Pertanian pertama RI yang mengunjungi lembaga kedinasan Kementerian Pertanian sejak berdiri pada 1993.
"Kami merasa terharu dan bangga, karena baru kali ini STPP Gowa dikunjungi oleh menteri pertanian sejak berdiri pada 1993 dan diresmikan oleh Presiden Soeharto sebagai lembaga kedinasan yang mendidik penyuluh pertanian," kata Ketua STPP Gowa, Arby Hamire saat menerima kunjungan Mentan Amran Sulaiman yang didampingi Kepala Balai Besar Karantina Pertanian Makassar, Hermansyah di Gowa, Kamis.
Arby menambahkan, STPP Gowa berawal dari Sekolah Pertanian Menengah Atas (SPMA) yang didirikan pada 1947 di atas lahan seluas 61 ribu hektar, kemudian berganti nama menjadi Sekolah Penyuluh Pertanian - Sekolah Pertanian Menengah Atas (SPP-SPMA) pada 1976 untuk memenuhi kebutuhan tenaga penyuluh pertanian di Sulawesi.
"Saya sendiri adalah alumni terakhir SPP-SPMA 1976 yang kini dipercaya memimpin STPP Gowa saat ini. Sebagian besar taruna dan taruni STPP Gowa adalah anak petani yang bertekad membangun pertanian di daerah asalnya. Bahkan kami menerima mahasiswa dari Maluku dan Ternate yang antusias membangun pertanian di kampung kelahiran mereka," kata Arby.
Dia mengaku menerapkan sistem penerimaan ketat kepada setiap lulusan SMA dengan nilai rata-rata delapan, namun syarat tersebut diturunkan menjadi rata-rata tujuh untuk memberi kesempatan kepada anak-anak petani yang ingin kuliah di STPP Gowa, dengan menyertakan identitas secara lengkap seperti kartu keluarga (KK).
Menteri di Kabinet Kerja Presiden RI Joko Widodo ini menyambut baik prestasi dan dukungan STPP Gowa untuk mendukung pembangunan pertanian Indonesia khususnya di Sulawesi Selatan.
"Saya adalah anak petani miskin dari Desa Ponre di Kabupaten Bone yang kuliah di Universitas Hasanuddin, dan berhasil lulus tepat waktu. Awalnya, saya ingin menjadi perwira TNI dan tidak berminat kuliah di Fakultas Pertanian tapi berkat dukungan orang tua dan tekad serta keras saya berhasil lulus sebagai sarjana pertanian dengan prestasi cumlaude," kata Amran Sulaiman.
Gowa, South Sulawesi (B2B) - The academic community of Gowa Institute of Agriculture Extension, known as STTP Gowa, warmly welcomed the visit of Agriculture Minister, Amran Sulaiman, as the first Indonesian agriculture minister who visited since established in 1993.
"We felt touched and proud, because this is the first time STPP Gowa visited by agriculture minister since it was established in 1993 by President Soeharto as the official institution that educates of agricultural extension," said Chairman of STPP Gowa, Arby Hamire while received Minister Amran Sulaiman who accompanied Head of the Agricultural Quarantine Office of Makassar, Hermansyah here on Thursday.
Hamire added, STPP Gowa originated from Agricultural High School, known as SPP-SPMA, was founded in 1947 in a land area of 61 thousand hectares, later renamed the school agriculture extension in 1976, to meet the needs of agricultural extension workers in Sulawesi.
"I am also the last graduates in 1976 who is now given the trust to lead STPP Gowa currently. Most students STPP Gowa are children of farmers committed to build agricultural in their hometown. In fact there are students from Maluku and Ternate," Hamire said.
He claimed to implement a system of admission to any high school graduate with the passing grade average of eight as the main requirement, but especially for the children of farmers allowed the passing grade an average of seven. It was to offered an opportunity for the children of farmers who want to study in STPP Gowa, to include identity as a family card.
The minister in the cabinet of President Joko Widodo welcomed the achievement and support STPP Gowa to support agricultural development in Indonesia, especially in South Sulawesi.
"I was son of poor farmers of Ponre village in Bone district and studying at the University of Hasanuddin and graduated cumlaude. At first, I wanted to be a military officer and was not interested in studied at the Faculty of Agriculture but the prayers and support of my parents into bachelor of agriculture," Sulaiman said.
