Framework of the Political Thought and Agricultural Strategy for Post-Election 2014
Chairman of the Division of Politik dan Strategi Pembangunan Pertanian (POSTANI -Politics and Agricultural Development Strategy) of CARE-IPB, Dr. Ir. Parlaungan A Rangkuti MSi in his inaugural discussion on Thursday, 6 September 2012, at the Baranangsiang campus, with the theme "Kerangka Pemikiran Politik dan Strategi Pertanian Pasca PEMILU 2014 (Political Thought and Strategy Framework for Agriculture Post-Election 2014)" stated that the 2014 General Election should be utilized as the foundation for the the evaluation and improvement of Politics and Agricultural Development Strategy, both macro and micro. Because of the political and agricultural development strategy is reflected in the Law No. 17 Year 2007 on Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Panjang Nasional (RPJPN – National Long-Term Development Plan), then the first must be evaluated to be refined is RPJPN it. As resulted of the amendment of the 1945 constitution, the Garis-Garis Bersar Haluan Negara (GBHN – Outline of the State Policy) was removed from it. Thus, the the Political and National Development Strategy (POLSTRANAS) should refer to Law No. 17 of 2007.
P.A. Rangkuti stated further that POSTANI-CARE of IPB is necessary to criticize the Act No 17 of 2007, if the law has to accommodate the basic principles of agricultural development based on to Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution. Are natural resources (NR) in particular the renewable natural resources have been utilized for the benefit of the people? Is the economic system that we developed is based on to the principle of economic democracy, efficiency, fairness, sustainable, environmental friendliness, independence and maintain a balance between progress and unity of the national economy? Next, smart agricultural thought are required to prepare the Medium Term Development Plan (RPJPM) (2014-2019), it should became the priority as the country’s political will and commitment. The success of national development will be largely determined by the success or failure of agriculture and rural development, as the life of our nation depends very much on agriculture. Moreover, most of the Indonesian population are located in rural areas areas and they are mostly still in poor condition. Poverty, ignorance and a sense of injustice in the development of the economy is still twisted around the bulk of the peasantry in the countryside.
Various agricultural development issues that arise during the discussion among others were: forestry, maritime, food, water, energy, plantations, agriculture, irrigation, cooperatives and the environment. Prof. Dr. Soewarno suggested to redefine the rural agro-industry development so that farmers can enjoy the added value resulting from an increasingly modern agribusiness. Agricultural science and technology with a variety of expertise available at IPB should be synergized in the form of the conception and applicable in the countryside. Dr Soewarno further stressed that agricultural resources that include maritime are plentiful, but we have not utilized them yet optimally. Even those who enjoy the profits from agribusiness are non-farmers. The peasants are still in a very weak position in agribusiness activities, they need to be strengthened through the effective coaching. The role of the educated youth especially fresh agricultural graduates should be improved to serve and contribute for the development of agriculture and community development. On the other hand, Prof. Dr. Ir. Risyal Sharif suggested that the role of POSTANI should be enlarged in the future, as we understand that there are increasing number of problems in the agricultural sectors and rural communities due to the variety of conflicts in socio-economic inequality and a sense of injustice among the various rural communties.
To encourage the roll-over of the POSTANI activities, Dr. Ir. Latif suggested that in proposing ideas or conceptions that are wrapped in various IPB expertise, they could channelize them through three systems namely, politics, science, and the scientific publications. POSTANI should establish communication networks with the parliament and the government to organize open communication for agricultural and rural development policy. Internal discussions IPB needs to be intensified in order to produced a holistic conception and reliable. The low intensity for the publication of IPB activities is unable to disseminate IPB achievements in various conceptions to the public at large. The ideas were supported by Prof. Dr. Ir Sukandi, who emphasized the need for tangible results of the development of agricultural science and technology of IPB for farmers by improving the role of IPB to the rural communities or farmers.
Dr. Ir. Namaken Sembiring suggested that agricultural modernization should always be associated with the objective of the agricultural sectors in general. In reality the agriculture has been developing very fast, therefore we have to anticipate well the problems caused by the degradation of the agricultural resources potential that might effect our future nation. The characteristics of specific areas need to be mapped so that the concept of agricultural development can really match with the input technology developed. Ir. Sukarni stated that IPB is very rich of ideas that should be mixed with academic-based thinking into a potent prescription for use by the "doctor" (as decision and policy makers, the government and parliament), to cure various diseases (problems) that are persist communities especially the rural and farmers. Those diseases have become chronic issues and they need further study. Ir Adi Firman and Marsun Hozcimi of CARE were among the audiences in the discussion, they promised to support the publication and administration activities POSTANI in the future.
At the end of the discussion chairman of the POSTANI, Dr. P.A. Rangkuti concluded that:
1) POSTANI will discuss the Law No. 17 of 2007 concerning RPJPN 2005-20025, and it should be incorporated into the RPJPM (2014-2019).
2) Inventory will be carried out to list problems on agriculture and rural development to define strategic issues that will be discussed further in formulating conceptions of Politics and Agricultural Development Strategy Post 2014 election.
3) Thursday at 10.00 – 12.00 will be set as the as regular discussions meeting for the POSTANI, and will be named as Kamisan.
4) Specific topics will be determined for every Thursday meeting (Kamisan), and experts relevant to the topic of discussion will be invited if deemed necessary.
5) As the preliminary discussion within the scope of the National Seminar, in the near future POSTANI will invite the Chairman of HKTI to discuss key issues related to Politics and Agricultural Development Strategy Post 2014 general election. (Wied).
