Two Indonesian nationals presented their research results during a special Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) on 28 April 2011. They are Dr. Panji Deoranto and Dr. Masyhuri, who both have ties with SEARCA.
Dr. Deoranto was a SEARCA Scholar, who just received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) last month. On the other hand, Dr. Masyhuri is the Gadjah Mada University’s Consortium Director for the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC), a network of institutions initiated by SEARCA in 1989. The latter also has a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from UPLB.
Dr. Deoranto, who is also a lecturer from the Department of Agricultural Industrial Technology in Brawijaya University, presented his Ph.D. dissertation on the Spatial Integration and Price Transmission of Chicken Markets in Central Java, Indonesia. His study explored the degree of market integration among three market levels: farm, wholesale, and retail. He said that if markets are well integrated, the market players can decide and change commodity prices based on the changes in their neighbor markets. With this, farmers, wholesalers, and retailers can prepare when to produce or sell more. He concluded that improving the integration of chicken markets can boost Indonesia’s chicken production and revive its chicken export.
The second presenter, Dr. Masyhuri, is the Director of the Center for World Trade Studies and a professor of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics at Gadjah Mada University. His discussion on Food Security in Indonesia highlighted data on the production and utilization of agricultural products like rice, cereals, and wheat. He explained that food security involves the availability of sufficient quantities of food, accessibility to appropriate and nutritious diet, and the affordability of food products to all households.
He concluded that Indonesia is still food insecure despite high rates of production, importation, and consumption. This is because of the great disparity in the accessibility and affordability of food products in different parts of the country, especially between the urban and rural areas. To attain food security, he stressed that the government should stabilize food prices for consumers and provide consumption subsidies for the poor.
Finally, both speakers stressed out that proper policy and production support by the government is needed to improve market trading and food security in Indonesia. (Peter Jerome B. Del Rosario, Andre Joseph S. de Belen and Regine Joy P. Evangelista)
DISCLAIMER:
The point of view taken by this article is entirely that of the presenter's and does not reflect in any way, SEARCA’s position.
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