PERSEPSIPETANITERHADAPKEBIJAKANSUBSIDIPUPUK DIDESAMISKIN KABUPATEN BLORA

Farmers Perception on Fertilizer Subsidy Policy in Poor Village of Blora District

Abstract

Economic crisis forced Indonesia to ask IMF support .As a consequences, several policies which was not popular had to be taken .In1998, fertilizer subsidy was withdrawn. The policy was espected to have positive impact both on their supply and their prices infarmers level due to the healthy competitive market. However, the impacts of the policy were the price increasing of fertiliers and cost production  as well as the flooding of lower prices imported comodities. A side of farmers  term of trade were lowered, farms' productivity were also decreasing. Cut off Indonesia and IMF relationship made possible for thegovernment to resubsidize the fertilizers since in theend of 2003. Hopefully the policy will encourage farmers to intensify their farming due to the lower cost of production. To findout farmers perception on the resubsidy policy, survey was carried out in Blora District in Agustus-Nopember 2005. Results showed that since farmers pay the fertilizerin cash, thesubsidy withdrawl added their burden. Respondents stated that in the last five years, fertilizers' prices tended to increase. Most respondents hope that urea prices is not more than Rp. l.050,-/kg to make them do not loss money in paddy farming. Only part of farmers stated that urea price should range from Rp.l.100,- to Rp.l.200,-/kg. Unfortunately, most of them (43.95%) stated that less information from the agricultural extension workers caused around 41.12% of respondent did not know the fertilizer subsidy policy. Farmers were also not fully realize the policy. As much as 22.42% of respondents  stated that the fertilizer price was not differ, while 31.77% of them stated that the price even higher compare to the condition before the policy. The result of survey showed that field extension  workers (Penyuluh Pertanian Lapangan) still have significant role as a source of information either in agricultural innovation or govenunent policies. However, repositioning of their job description need to be developed further.