VILLAGE BARN AS SOLUTION OF FLUCTUATION OF GRAIN/RICE PRICES

VILLAGE BARN AS SOLUTION OF FLUCTUATION OF GRAIN/RICE PRICES
By: Asrul Masir Harahap and Afsdyah Eky Vitalina *)


At this time, the agricultural sector as well as in times past, have an important and strategic role in the recovery and development of the national economy. In North Sumatra province, agriculture is still the largest contributor to the second after the industrial sector (which includes agro-industrial / agricultural) to regional GDP. Side of the strategic importance of the role of the agricultural sector is in the provision of food, for the provision of adequate food for the population is an integral part of national development. At the macro level, this means that actions are needed to 2 (two) things: First, an increase in food supply in line with the increase in consumption while maintaining a reasonable price level, and second, economic growth with equity so that the purchasing power to absorb the increase in supply is adequate and spread evenly.

Fulfillment of the food itself essentially has 3 (three) requirements. First, over time the total amount of available food is generally equal to the total amount needed to meet consumption needs. Second, in addition to food prices should boost production, affordable and fairly stable. Third, the purchasing power to obtain food should be spread equally among the population, access to food supplies evenly. Ensure food self-sufficiency of the first condition, which is sufficient to meet the needs of production in total consumption. While the policy at the right price and ensure equitable distribution of income are the second and third terms, namely that the total production would be fairly distributed to its customers equally and with reasonable prices and stable.

Rice Self-Sufficiency

Rice self-sufficiency has been achieved since 1984 but we can not keep, especially towards the end of the 20th century is a goal to strive for in the future. This needs to be emphasized given the fact that there is rice production from year to year is always fluctuating, whether due to climate, pests, or other factors such as natural disasters. The condition has been a hallmark of the production of agricultural commodities.

Rice self-sufficiency has been achieved is a successful effort to meet national food requirements. However, we need to realize that in the coming years will increase rice production is becoming increasingly difficult or expensive due to various constraints, such as limited and conversion of productive land, scarcity of water resources, the more difficult it is groundbreaking new technology, and so on. In the midst of many obstacles, the increased production of grain / rice should still be pursued to meet the consumption of the population in general and North Sumatra, Indonesia in particular. Such measures may be printing new fields, building more irrigation, improve the quality and quantity of the means of production, and improve cultivation and post-harvest technologies, all of which will have implications for the increasing cost of production, which in turn will increase the price of rice.

Agribusiness of Rice

One of ten national economic recovery program that is being launched by the government is to improve productivity and livelihoods. To accomplish this, including agribusiness rice farmers to be one of the largest and most important economic activity in the national economy. Agribusiness rice associated with rice consumption involving 200 million Indonesian population and involves millions of rice farmers in production activities.

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*) Researchers in North Sumatra PPA Consultants Branch Office

Until now, the national rice agribusiness issues including North Sumatra remains unresolved. Estimated and has even occurred in harvest season in February and March, as with previous years, the price of grain at the farm level fell sharply even dropped, so that the welfare and economic interests of farmers harmed. In the season 1999/2000 harvest of dry grain prices ranging from Rp. 700-800, - per kg, while rice prices set by the government through Presidential Decree No. 32 of 1998 was Rp. 1400-1500, -.

The flood of rice farmers in the market that is actually a positive impact on the national economy due to reduced imports of rice, not directly perceived by farmers as prices plummeted its grain and not worth the cost of production incurred. While in the dry season which is usually accompanied by an increase in rice prices and rising imports would harm the interests of the national economy especially rice consumers including farmers themselves.

North Sumatra province as one of the production centers with a total land area of ​​rice (paddy and dry land) in 1999 amounted to 1.66 million hectares, producing rice / grain as much as 3.4 million tons.

Production of rice for 5 (five) years (1995-1999) in the province of North Sumatra by ranking the District / Municipality are:

No.	District/ Municipalities	1995 (Ton)	1996 (Ton)	1997 (Ton)	1998 (Ton)	1999 (Ton)	Mean of Growth (%)
1	Deli Serdang	653.249	644.004	659.389	665.004	675.286	0.84
2	Tapanuli Selatan	421.777	417.510	448.292	470.864	502.765	4.54
3	Simalungun	349.752	321.812	349.666	338.222	471.813	9.22
4	Asahan	323.061	322.609	327.956	338.009	352.086	2.19
5	Langkat	275.770	314.540	311.700	358.766	343.349	5.99
6	Labuhan Batu	307.336	307.747	305.134	349.706	340.870	2.84
7	Tapanuli Utara	237.939	258.979	267.919	249.852	188.856	-4.72
8	Nias	83.779	95.424	91.222	93.954	108.215	6.92
9	Tapanuli Tengah	85.311	92.371	96.253	103.607	103.796	5.08
10	Dairi	61.165	64.354	59.829	59.376	72.279	4.79
11	Karo	80.272	64.541	54.247	75.723	62.540	-3.34
12	Medan	33.650	23.414	24.568	22.786	26.569	-4.04
13	Binjai	13.681	13.864	15.642	16.645	17.836	6.93
14	Pematang Siantar	24.358	14.428	18.700	20.761	16.054	-5.70
15	Tanjung Balai	5.175	4.030	7.930	7.628	7.350	16.80
16	Tebing Tinggi	8.005	7.054	7.885	8.641	6.915	-2.62
17	Mandailing Natal	-	-	-	-	-	0.00
18	Toba Samosir	-	-	-	-	-	0.00
19	Sibolga	-	-	-	-	-	0.00
	Jumlah/Total	2.964.280	2.966.681	3.046.330	3.144.544	3.296.579	2.70

Source: BPS Sumatra (Processed)

Growth in rice production in North Sumatra on average increased by 2.7% over the last five years (1995-1999) has not significantly improve the welfare of rice farmers and rice consumers benefit North Sumatra.

Village Barn Development

Agricultural products such as rice / grain that is voluminous, requires a relatively large storage space. Not to mention it is easily damaged by pests, mechanical, chemical and other natural factors caused, making agricultural yields a product that is at high risk of damage. This requires farmers to be careful and always alert. Therefore, farmers generally do not bother as Gus Dur. After harvest, they directly sell their products even at a lower price, then the money saved in a bank sale or buy items deemed useful and can be sold in times of famine.

Actually, there's an opportunity to overcome the turmoil of the above is to develop the village barn as an institution village economy. Rice barns founded and managed by communities, especially farmers as a joint effort to save the agricultural products which further developed into the village credit institutions mainly in the form of "in kind". Rice barns are needed in order to address the economic needs of farmers at critical times such as famine, harvest parched, drought, and others. In rice barns, raising capital through pure self-help farming communities. Through the village barn loans given to farmers include seeds, fertilizer, and other agricultural inputs, including capital. In addition, in certain circumstances rice barns also provide loans for household consumption purposes in the form of "in-kind". Overall, the village barn is a form of community participation in supporting self-sufficiency.

At this time, farmers' groups that developed generally less attentive to the development of the village barn. Many factors are responsible for the case, including rice barns necessary to establish cohesion between farmers and skills in business management, including knowledge in the field of post-harvest technology. Therefore, to promote rice barns to participate in the procurement of food and increase farmers' income, the need for guidance to them, both from the technical aspects which include drying, transportation, warehousing / storage, milling, packaging, and quality control; institutional aspects which include institutional rice barns and financial and organizational aspects and management including marketing, finance and administration, and profit sharing.

One alternative to the development of rural barns with stock management and distribution system that can be optimally developed in the future is the development of a modern village granary system called the warehouse received system (WRS), which integrates the function of drying, storage, distribution, financing and stabilization in such a way that the interests of farmers accomodated by rice paddy and consumers simultaneously.

So far, stock management and distribution system of rice in Indonesia is done by several people, including traders, BULOG and their staffs. The reality is that the economic interests of rice farmers and consumers of rice has not been fully met. With all its limitations especially often affected and cause problems, BULOG also not able to handle the entire crop farmers. Therefore, the need for stock management and distribution system through the development of the institutional system of rice granary modern village is becoming increasingly important.

The development of the institutional system rice barns rated be the right choice because it has long been recognized and is part of the culture of Indonesia, including in North Sumatra, so expect more easily developed and adopted by the community. In addition, the development of the village barn may also simultaneously optimize the use of facilities for agricultural development in rural areas such as warehouses KUD actually been quite adequate and built with considerable cost but many are idle (dormant). In addition, the experience of neighboring countries to develop similar institutions such as Japan, China and Taiwan proved effective enough to accommodate the interests of rice farmers and rice consumers. However, this development needs to be done in stages with respect to the diversity of the area and existing institutions.

Epilog

Development of rice barns which aims to build a management system / stock management and distribution of grain / rice, can encourage economic activity, especially in rural areas, especially for the economic interests of rice farmers and consumers of rice.

In the implementation of the development of rural barns, readiness and cohesion required all stakeholders especially the farmers them