FROM STUDENTS TO INDONESIA AS THE WORLD'S FOOD GRANARIES

Good morning and best wishes to all of us. That I respect the judges, ladies
and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages.
We can stand here certainly not because of our strength and greatness but
because of the strength and greatness of our God. So we need to express our gratitude
to God Almighty because for the love and gift we got together in this place we carried
out our activity, namely the "2nd Agriculture English Speech Competition" with the
theme "Agriculture: Opportunity, Challenges, and Strategy"
Okay, I'm Ivana Barus. Here I will read my speech entitled "From Students to
Indonesia as The World's Food Granaries”
We know that Indonesia is a country that is famous for its rich natural resources,
ranging from mining resources such as tin, gold, silver and copper, forests, oceans
and others. But most people are below the poverty line. How could this have
happened?
That's why I raised this title. We need you students to clean up this case.
People need you students to protect them. Indonesia needs you students to bring this
country forward internationally especially in agriculture.
Another advantage besides the abundant natural resources of our country is
also awarded with a strategic location with a tropical climate that allows solar
radiation to be received throughout the year. Temperatures in Indonesia are also very
optimal, very good for plant growth. Almost all types of plants that exist in other
world regions can grow on this land of Indonesia. There is even a saying that a stick
planted on the earth of Indonesia will also be able to become a tree because of its soil
fertility. Isn’t that extraordinary ladies and gentlemen?
With all the enormous natural resource potential and geographical location
and tropical climate, now Indonesia should become an advanced country in
agriculture in particular. However, the fact is that our agricultural conditions are
currently very bad. How is it not, now we become a country that importing fruits,
livestock and major foodstuffs such as rice, corn, soybeans and sugar.
What a very ironic condition considering that in the 1980s our country
became the main exporter of rice in Asia. In the past, country like Malaysia who had
learned how to grow crops from us are now in very good condition, now we are
learning from them, now we are buying rice from them.
 We should be able to self-study why it can happen to our country. We should
be ashamed of other country like Japan, a narrower country with land conditions that
are not as fertile as we are, but the agricultural system is far more advanced leaving
us.
All parties must understand the vital role of the agricultural sector.
Agriculture is a tool for economic and political stability in a country. Agriculture is a
unifying tool for the nation, this is very reasonable because basically food is the most
basic need that must be fulfilled both for survival and for improving nutrition.
There are two factors why Indonesia is still unable to provide welfare for its
people. Both of these factors are internal factors and external factors.
Internal factors include factors that exist within the scope of farmers, namely
1. Capital, most farmers do not have large capital to develop their farming business.
2. Production infrastructure, less capital causes farmers to be unable to buy
production facilities such as seeds, fertilizers and pest control.
3. Skills, most farmers still rarely get a decent education. Most of them never sit in
school.
4. Knowledge and mindset, do not have a view to make their business is more
advanced and there is no effort to increase their knowledge both in technical and non-
technical terms.
5. Production management, production by farmers has not yet reached profit oriented
but is more a way of life.
6. Motivation, motivation to farm sometimes decreases and even disappears. Farmers
prefer to urbanize and work as factory workers.
External factors include those that are outside the scope of farmers, namely
1. Import policy, import activities are more encouraged so that local products are less
competitive, so farmers suffer a loss
2. Subsidy policy, the revocation of subsidies for inputs, either seeds or fertilizers.
3. The policy of land use change, agricultural land is decreasing with the progress of
the industry, both manufacturing, housing and others.
4. Global issues, the existence of free trade, WTO, C-AFTA and AEC. Free trade that
occurs in almost all regions of the world actually has a tremendous impact on
domestic agricultural conditions. Participation in free trade without mature readiness,
practically makes the domestic market flooded with products from abroad. This is a
risk that has a systemic impact that can increase the number of unemployed and the
level of poverty.
Of the many factors, what should we do? What do you have to do? What
should I do?
According to my title I focus this case with student.
Previously we had to know in advance what our roles and functions as students
First, students as the nation's Iron Stock (Hard Reserve), means that students with
intellectual property are the reserves of the nation's next generation.
Second, that students as agents of this nation, means that from the historical events of
this nation, students always play a role in the change.
Third, that students as the nation's Moral Force independently fight for the rights of
oppressed people with idealistic values and mature rational intellectuals.
From this description it can be concluded that students are vital objects of a
country. Students as young intellectual actors who have considerable access to the
lower levels (community) and upper class (government) must be able to play a role in
the agricultural development process. Agricultural students are required to be able to
solve agricultural problems with their knowledge, help accelerate agricultural
development by assisting farmers, image building of agriculture and conducting
agricultural advocacy that can help the welfare of farmers. With these roles,
Indonesian agriculture will rise from the hands of reformers namely Indonesian
Agricultural Students.
As advanced students, of course they must be able to play an active role in
Agricultural Development. As young generation that becomes the backbone of the
Republic of Indonesia must be able to provide a solution or more active role in the
community, especially those farmers who are having difficulties with various
problems they experience. Trying to find out what are the constraints / difficulties of
farmers in remote areas, providing counseling that is beneficial to farmers, and also
introducing them to modern farming technology, so that later their harvests will be
maximized.
As an example of their introduction to farmers with the internet, a network
that can search for various types of information, especially in agriculture. On the
internet, besides being able to provide information, we can also market products from
agriculture to the world by using service advertisements / sites.
So the description that I can convey may be useful for us all, apologize profusely for
all the shortcomings thank you and good morning.