Availability of Fertilizer is Key to Realizing Food Security
By: Ganindra Putera
Food security is a key pillar in maintaining economic stability and public welfare. Amidst increasingly complex global challenges, the availability of fertilizer is a key factor in realizing sustainable food security. Without sufficient and well-distributed fertilizer, agricultural productivity can be disrupted, which ultimately impacts national food availability. Therefore, the government through various strategic policies continues to strive for the availability and distribution of fertilizers in order to optimally support the agricultural sector.
The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) has taken a progressive step by promoting the Modern Agriculture Program as an effort to increase agricultural productivity. This program carries the concept of transformation from traditional agriculture to technology-based agriculture. The Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, emphasized that the adoption of agricultural technology such as the use of superior varieties, fertilizers, agricultural tools and machinery (alsintan), and automatic irrigation systems can increase production efficiency by up to 50 percent. This step not only increases crop yields, but also attracts the interest of the younger generation to enter the agricultural sector.
One important aspect of this program is the sustainability of the distribution of subsidized fertilizers that reach all farmers. The government continues to strive to ensure that fertilizer is available at affordable prices and on target. In the Coordination Meeting (Rakor) regarding the distribution of subsidized fertilizer, the Head of the Agricultural Extension and Human Resources Development Agency (BPPSDMP), Idha Widi Arsanti, revealed that agricultural Human Resources (HR) are the main factor in maintaining national productivity and food security. Therefore, BPPSDMP is committed to increasing the capacity of farmers and strengthening the role of agricultural extension workers in assisting farmers.
The role of farmer groups (gapoktan) is also increasingly strengthened by making them subsidized fertilizer delivery points. This step aims to ensure that fertilizer distribution runs more transparently and efficiently. The Minister’s Special Staff, Sam Herodian, explained that qualified gapoktan can be part of the fertilizer distribution system without having to join a cooperative. This provides flexibility for farmers in obtaining fertilizer more easily.
However, in its implementation, strict supervision is still needed to prevent irregularities in the distribution of subsidized fertilizer. The Marketing Director of Pupuk Indonesia, Tri Wahyudi Saleh, emphasized that violations of the highest retail price (HET) will be dealt with firmly, and can even result in criminal sanctions. Decree of the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia No. 644/kPTS/SR.310/M/11/2024 has set the HET for subsidized fertilizer with clear prices for various types of fertilizer. If a violation occurs, kiosks proven to have raised prices above the HET are required to return the price difference to farmers and can be subject to severe sanctions.
To increase transparency, the government has also implemented a digitalization system in the redemption of subsidized fertilizer. As of January 1, 2025, the iPubers application has been officially used to redeem subsidized fertilizer using only an ID card or Digital Farmer Card. This step aims to ensure that fertilizer is actually distributed to entitled farmers, while avoiding the practice of hoarding or illegal sales.
Efforts to improve supervision of fertilizer distribution are also carried out through various communication forums such as “PI Menyapa” and “Rembuk Tani” initiated by Pupuk Indonesia. This forum is a forum for farmers and stakeholders to convey obstacles and find solutions together. In addition, the public can also report suspected violations of fertilizer distribution through the Pupuk Indonesia field team or the toll-free customer service that has been provided.
However, the success of this policy does not only depend on the government and stakeholders in the agricultural sector, but also requires full support from the community. Awareness of the importance of food security must be part of a shared commitment. The community can play a role by supporting the implementation of government policies, monitoring the distribution of fertilizers in the surrounding environment, and disseminating correct information about subsidized fertilizer policies. In addition, the community can also contribute to food security by utilizing yard land to grow crops independently. The urban farming movement, which is now increasingly developing, is one solution to maintaining food security at the household level. Thus, dependence on food from outside the region can be reduced, and encourage food self-sufficiency on a small scale.
