Pertanian Lebih Penting daripada Ekonomi
Agricultural Issue More Important than Economic Concerns
Reporter : Gusmiati Waris
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
 b.jpg)
Bogor (B2B) - Pertanian sangat strategis bagi kehidupan bangsa, sehingga permasalahannya lebih penting dari ekonomi.
"Masalah pertanian lebih penting dari ekonomi, strategis bagi bangsa, ketahanan bangsa, karena produksi akhir pertanian adalah pangan, tanpa pangan tidak ada peradaban," kata Ketua Umum Himpunan Kerukunan Tani Indonesia (HKTI) Prabowo Subianto dalam dialog bertajuk ´Mewujudkan Pembangunan Pertanian yang Berkedaulat dan Menyejahterakan" di Kampus IPB Dramaga, Kabupaten Bogor, Jabar, Jumat.
Menurut Prabowo, pentingnya sektor pertanian sehingga menjadikan keberadaan IPB dan fakultas pertanian lainnya di Indonesia juga sangat strategis.
Prabowo sangat bangga dengan hasil riset yang dihasilkan oleh IPB yang sangat banyak dimana 1/3 inovasi di Litbang Indonesia berasal dari IPB.
"Dengan adanya IPB dan fakultas pertanian di Indonesia, bisa memandang masa depan dengan optimis untuk menghasilkan trobosan-trobosan Iptek," ujar Ketua Dewan Pembina Parta Gerindra tersebut.
Mnurut dia, pertanian tidak hanya pangan tapi juga perikanan, peternakan dan juga agro industri yang harus berdaulat.
Terkait lahan pertanian yang semakin menyempit, Prabowo menilai perlu ada aturan-aturan tata ruang yang ketat yang harus menjaga agar lahan pertanian tetap dipertahanankan.
Ia mengatakan, dibeberapa negara, Undang-Undang pertanian dilindungi. Hal tersebut juga harus dilakukan oleh Indonesia. Sehingga perlu political will, mengingat banyak pejabat poltik yang berfikir pendek.
Prabowo mengatakan, terjunnya ia ke politik untuk mempertahankan keunggulan Indonesia dibidang pertanian.
"Karena pembangunan bangsa berpusat pada pertanian. Kebangkitan ekonomi Indonesia harus bersandar pada pertanian. Industri juga harus bersandar pada pertanian, kalau industri maju pertanian juga," pensiunan letnan jenderal TNI ini lagi.
Prabowo hadir sebagai tokoh nasional yang diundang oleh Direktorat Kajian Strategis Kebijakan Pertanian (KSKP) IPB dalam dialog tokoh dengan tema "Mewujudkan pembangunan pertanian yang berkedaulatan dan menyejahterakan".
"Kami mengundang Prabowo sebagai Ketua Himpunan Kerukunan Tani Indonesia (HKTI), yang diharapkan sumbangsi pemikiran-pemikirannya dalam mewujudkan pembangunan pertanian yang berdaulat dan mendorong peran IPB bagi sektor pertanian," ujar Rektor IPB Prof Herry Suhardiyanto.
Bogor (B2B) - Agriculture issue is a more important concern than simple economics, because it has a strategic role in the life of the nation.
"The agricultural issue is more important than just being an economic issue, because it is very strategic for national resilience. Final agricultural production is food, and without food there is no civilization," Prabowo Subianto, Indonesian Farmers Association Chairman said during a discussion on "Realizing Sovereign and Prospering Agricultural Development" at Bogor Agriculture Institute (IPB) campus on Friday.
The politician from Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party noted that agriculture not only involves food production, but includes fisheries, animal husbandry, and agro-industry.
Commenting on the increasingly reduced agricultural lands, Prabowo suggested that there must be more careful land-use planning and regulations to maintain agricultural areas.
Further, he added that the government must keep the agricultural sector on track following the creation of a number of policies that are considered to be less favorable for the agriculture sector.
According to Prabowo, the government was less than partial with the agricultural sector, as seen from the policy of imports of agricultural produce, farmers poor bargaining positions against banks, and a decrease in the number of farmers.
"We are supposed to protect the agricultural and marine treasures but, pathetically, we failed to do it properly," said the presidential candidate from Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) party.
Prabowo suggested that other countries were able to protect their agriculture and marine wealth and, therefore, the government of Indonesia should play an important role in the agricultural sector.
"It is ironic that in the past we exported fish, but our failure to keep it on track now make us import patin fish (pangasius nasutus), marine fish, salted fish, and even salt from other countries," he added.
