Indonesian Farmer Card program may not be working well according to some political candidates

During the second debate of the 2024 in Indonesia’s Central Java gubernatorial election held at the Majapahit Convention (MAC) in Semarang, candidate Ahmad Luthfi announced his intention to discontinue the Farmer Card program, citing inefficiencies in the current fertilizer distribution system. The debate, themed “Building Central Java Food Infrastructure and Security in Facing Climate Change and Increasing the Quality of Community Life,” took place on Sunday, November 10.

Ahmad Luthfi emphasized that while the fertilizer supply in Central Java is sufficient, the distribution mechanism is failing to reach its targets. “The distribution is not on target. From the start of the distribution process to the new street vendors” emphasized Luthfi during the debate. He argued that the existing Farmer’s Card system complicates access to fertilizers for local farmers and pledged to remove it if elected.

According to Luthfi, the Farmer’s Card has not been effective in ensuring that fertilizers reach the farmers who need them most. He highlighted that a major challenge is the eligibility criterion that restricts Farmer Cards to cultivators with a maximum of 2 hectares of business area, noting that the majority of Central Java farmers do not own the land they cultivate.

The candidate for Deputy Governor from the opposing ticket, Hendrar Prihadi, concurred with Luthfi’s assessment regarding the critical issue of fertilizer availability. Prihadi recognized that securing fertilizer during the planting period remains a significant hurdle for local farmers.

The discourse on the future of the Farmer Card system and its role in fertilizer distribution reflects broader concerns over agricultural productivity and food security in Central Java as the region confronts the challenges posed by climate change. As the election approaches on November 27, 2024, these issues remain pivotal in the candidates’ campaigns.