Bawang! Harganya Naik Petani Senang, Konsumen Menjerit, kata Mentan
Onions! Prices Up Farmers Happy, Consumer Screaming, Minister Said
Reporter : Gusmiati Waris
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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Jakarta (B2B) - Pemerintah menghadapi dilematis terhadap kenaikan harga bawang saat ini. Pasalnya, dengan harga yang terbilang tinggi akan mendorong petani bawang meningkatkan produksinya, sebaliknya bila harga jatuh akan membebani petani.
"Sekarang ini pilihannya tinggal bagaimana? Apakah tetap melindungi petani bawang meskipun jumlahnya sedikit atau kita harus impor semua kebutuhan bawang," kata Menteri Pertanian Suswono di kantornya, Jumat (15/3).
Menurutnya, kepentingan nasional pula yang mendorong pemerintah melakukan pengaturan impor bawang putih, dengan sistem kuota. Tujuannya, untuk melindungi produksi dalam negeri.
"Kalau impor dilepas begitu saja, pasti nanti produksi bawang dalam negeri akan lebih tertekan lagi, sehingga dikhawatirkan produksi bawang putih dalam negeri akan habis," kata Suswono.
Dari total kebutuhan bawang putih sebanyak 400 ribu ton tahun ini, diakuinya, produksi dalam negeri hanya mampu memasok kebutuhan nasional sekitar 5% hingga 10%. Semester kedua tahun ini ditargetkan total impor sekitar 320 ribu ton.
Jakarta (B2B) - The government is facing a dilemma on rising onion prices lately. Because, with prices soar onions will encourage farmers to increase production, whereas if the price falls would cost farmers.
"Now these difficult choices? Are still protecting onion farmers, although the numbers are a little or we have to import all of the needs of the onion," said Agriculture Minister Suswono in the office on Friday (15/3).
According to him, the national interest is what encourages the government to import settings garlic, with a quota system. The goal, to protect domestic production.
"If imports removed for granted, certainly later on onion production in the country will be depressed again, so feared garlic production in the country will run out," said Suswono.
Out of the total requirement of garlic as much as 400 thousand tons this year, he admitted, domestic production is only able to supply the national demand of about 5% to 10%. The second half of this year targeted total imports of about 320 thousand tons.
