RI's Agricultural Sector not Fully Ready for AEC

Jakarta (Antara) - The Indonesian agricultural sector is not fully ready for the formation of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, the Indonesian Farmers Association (HKTI) said. "Only a few of us realize that the AEC will also have an impact on our agricultural sector. We must all realize that our agricultural sector has not been fully prepared for it," chief of the association's advisory board Ahmad Mubarok said here on Friday. The Indonesian agricultural sector which supports the national food needs has not been developed properly to face the ASEAN free market, he said. Even most of the Indonesian farmers are still cultivating their land traditionally, he said. "As a matter of fact, we need modern agriculture to increase the competitive edge of our agricultural sector," he said. Therefore, he added that the association is encouraging all stakeholders to draw up a great concept of agricultural development in pursuit of modern agricultural sector. "This will make our agricultural sector more competitive since the free market is inevitable," he said. If Indonesia does not act as quickly as possible to grab the opportunity in the era of free market it will become a market for food products from other ASEAN member states, he said. If that is the case, it will pose a serious threat to the country's quest for self-reliance in food production, he said. "Don't let us bow to mafia or cartels that will harm our farmers' interests," he said. (*)