The Dean of FPP UMM, Dr. Ir. Damat, MP hands a souvenir to the Chief of Food Securuty Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture of the RI, Prof. Dr. Achmad Suryana, MS and the menagement of Commission B DPR Jatim, Drs. Agus Dono Wibawanto, M.Hum sfter delivering speech..
Student Executive Board (BEM), Faculty of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry (FPP), University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) hosted the meeting of Association of Indonesian Agriculture BEM /Ikatan BEM Pertanian Indonesia (IBEMPI), Friday (04/22). The meeting which would be held until Monday (04/24) consisted of the agenda of national seminar, entrepreneurship training, and Student Leadership and Management Training (LKMM).
No less than 14 campuses from across Indonesia sent their delegations. Apart from UMM, other campuses in attendance were, among others, IPB, Padjadjaran University, Unmul, Unram, Unlam, Diponegoro University, UB, UNS, UWP, IPM, UWK, Unitri, Unisma, Polytechnic of Jember, Uniska, UGR, Unsud, and Muhammadiyah campuses of East Java. They blended with the other invitations which consisted of Gapoktan, educators of Agriculture Vocational Schools, research and agricultural centers in the event labeled "Agricultural Quotient Day 2011".
FPP UMM Dean, Dr. Ir. Damat, MP hoped that the meeting would be productive in generating student action formula to promote the quality of our agriculture. Students, he said, have a strategic position because as young people, students are not only having ample movement, but also becoming activator of idealism. "Student thoughts can be contributed in building agricultural policy and assisting farmers in the field," he said when giving a speech at the opening ceremony which was attended by UMM Vice Rector III, Drs. Joko Widodo, M.Si.
On the first day, national seminar presented, among others, the Chief of Food Security Agency, Ministry of Agriculture of the RI, Prof. Dr. Achmad Suryana, MS; the members of the House of Representatives Commission IV (Fraction of Gerindra), Agung Jelantik Sanjaya, MBA and Sadar Subagjo; and the member of Commission B DPR of East Java, Drs. Agus Dono Wibawanto, M. Hum. Agung and Sadar are the central management of HKTI.
Achmad Suryana and Agus Dono were paneled with the theme "The Future of Agricultural Development towards Indonesian Food Improvement." Suryana explained that the strategic role of agriculture in the achievement of national economic development goals should be balanced in terms of improving social welfare and economic growth and in providing jobs. In Indonesia, the food must be considered important for it is essentially a culture which is the result of adaptation between humans and the environment. "Eating bread for many times for Indonesian people is not considered as eating before they eat rice," said Suryana. This reality requires a policy approach not only in agriculture, but also in culture.
On the other hand, Agus deplored the situation of agriculture in Indonesia which is rich in natural resources but which has not been being integrated into the national economic strength. There is no equitable justice in agriculture. "The farmers are only taken their labors. There is no national or provincial political policies which stand for farmers," Dono criticized.
Furthermore, the national food crisis, according to Agus, also due to the level of food supply which is not comparable with the rate of food demand. Because of the uncontrolled high population growth, human resources in Indonesia have a low productive character, away from the culture of entrepreneurship and productivity development. The agricultural sector as the support of world food security have been degraded in some respects, namely land degradation, increasing global temperatures and agro-climate, low application of technology, and post harvest handling.
Meanwhile, Agung Jelantik concerned on the lack of interest of the community to become farmers. It seems that agricultural work is considered resulting less pride. Thus, there are many unproductive farms. In addition, farmers in Indonesia have only 0.3 hectare of ownership land on average. Farmers are not going to prosper with the ownership of so narrow land. "It means that currently there are imbalances between the amounts of lands available with the number of farmers," he concluded.
Jelantik offers two choices that are equally difficult to overcome this problem, namely, adding the amount of lands or cutting the number of farmers. "If the second option is selected, then it means that they must be given sufficient other jobs," he said.
The National Presidium of IBEMPI, Ahmad Burhan Rifa'i, said it is the time to unite Indonesian Agriculture students in building alignments to the people. He hoped there are points generated in the process of qualified and better Indonesian agricultural development in the future. In addition, the participation of students in the process of agricultural development in the future must also be taken into account. "All institutions and agencies that play a role in the development of Indonesian agriculture must be free from politicization action. They need to restore spirit to generate a quality agriculture so that it will result on significant changes to the nation of Indonesia," he added.
It is also the Governor of FPP BEM Students, Robby Wahyu Fahlevi who encouraged students to participate in criticizing policies which are not pro-people by being intellect and performing real action. "It doesn’t need to have demo on streets. Let us hand positive and constructive thinking and non-political real actions," he said. (bib/nas/t_alf)
