YOGYAKARTA – Farmers in the perspective of observers no longer have sovereignty and independence in the provision of food, even they undergo poverty systematically from the impact of agricultural development policy. This is along with the increased costs of agricultural production that cannot be counterbalanced by the income they earn. "Now, seed, fertilizer and soil just add to the cost of production. In fact, from time-to-time, the price increases," Professor of Department of Social Development and Welfare UGM, Prof. Dr. Susetiawan, said in a monthly seminar discussion at Center for Rural and Regional Studies (PSPK) UGM, Thursday afternoon (20/10).
Susetiawan said that now the farmers do not teach the next generation how to farm, because farming for them cannot reimburse the rising prices of other goods that must be purchased with money equally. "Young people in the village now assume that farming has no bright prospect in the future," he said.
Because of the difficulty to meet their needs, according to Susetiawan, some farmers are willing to sell their land as bribe to put their offspring into the army, police or civil servants. "Farmers whose land is narrow, approximately 0.25 acres, generally plant rice not for sale, but to meet food needs," he said
In addition, agricultural education is also considered by Susetiawan as no longer awakening the revival of agriculture as a provider of food crops in the future. Even formal education is not oriented to the development of agriculture. Meanwhile in the government, the failure of agricultural development is not simply a failure of one ministry alone but some ministries which never perform coordinative work. "The failure of agricultural development automatically pushes the failure of agricultural education both formally and socially due to the social behavior of the village young people who are alienated from their real daily lives," he concluded.