Magelang, January 8, 2024 - Agriculture is a sector that significantly contributes to Indonesia's economy. The success of this sector is inseparable from the efforts of farmers who work tirelessly to support national food security. To maintain the contribution of the agricultural sector, the Government continues to ensure the availability of both subsidized and non-subsidized fertilizers.

The administration of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has a strong commitment to farmers, demonstrated through the fertilizer subsidy program, which allocates approximately Rp 25 trillion each year to help farmers obtain affordable fertilizers. In 2024, the Government plans to increase the fertilizer subsidy allocation by Rp 14 trillion to benefit more farmers.

Moreover, the Government has simplified the redemption process for subsidized fertilizers, requiring only the Indonesia Identity Card (Kartu Tanda Penduduk or KTP). This is expected to be utilized by all farmers to meet their fertilizer needs.

Bob Indiarto, the Production Director of PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero), stated that the Government not only provides subsidized fertilizers to farmers but also ensures the availability of non-subsidized fertilizers.

"The Government, through Pupuk Indonesia, ensures the availability of fertilizers throughout Indonesia, both subsidized and non-subsidized. The Government assists in obtaining fertilizers easily to support the acceleration program of the planting season in early 2024," explained Bob.

To maintain fertilizer availability, the Government, specifically the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises and the Ministry of Agriculture, through Pupuk Indonesia, is organizing the Fertilizer Discount Extravaganza (Gebyar Diskon Pupuk) in various cities/districts from January to February 2024. The first event took place at the Fertilizer Storage Warehouse (Gudang Pupuk Penyangga or GPP) in Magelang Regency, Central Java, on Monday (8/1/2024).

"During this planting season, the government has made various efforts to support farmers in achieving optimal yields in the upcoming harvest. The Gebyar Diskon Pupuk, organized by Pupuk Indonesia in collaboration with the government, in various cities throughout January and February 2024. This series of events aims to ensure fertilizer availability for farmers and provide convenience for farmers to obtain fertilizers this planting season," said Bob.

During the Gebyar Diskon Pupuk, the Government assigned Pupuk Indonesia to meet the demand for non-subsidized fertilizers and encourage farmers to redeem fertilizers, including preparing non-subsidized fertilizers at affordable prices.

The Government also consistently ensures the availability of subsidized and non-subsidized fertilizer stocks by conducting field visits to several agricultural centers. As of December 31, 2023, the availability of subsidized and non-subsidized fertilizers was recorded at 1,744,302 tons, equivalent to 236 percent of the minimum stock set by the Government. This stock includes 1,215,280 tons of subsidized fertilizer and 529,022 tons of non-subsidized fertilizer.

"Pupuk Indonesia is implementing the Gebyar Diskon Pupuk program in line with the government's encouragement for farmers to enjoy non-subsidized fertilizers at affordable prices and help improve agricultural productivity and the welfare of farmers. Hopefully, this program can encourage farmers to plant earlier so that the success of this early planting season can be harvested together in April," concluded Bob.