The Maluku Provincial Government through the Maluku Agriculture Service (Distan) submitted a proposal for assistance from the central government of 5,000 hectares for soybean development in 2023. said the Head of the Maluku Province Agriculture Service Ilham Tauda, Tuesday (17/1/2023). Ilham revealed, in 2022 the Maluku Agriculture Service received assistance from the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture for 4,570 hectares for soybean development.
"Planting was carried out in December 2022. In detail, in Central Maluku Regency there are 3,250 hectares, then in eastern Seram Regency there are 1,000 hectares, and in Southeast Maluku Regency there are around 500 hectares of land," Ilham explained.
According to Ilham, the Maluku Agriculture Service has also appointed PT Kedelai Inti Raya as an off taker or avalis to handle financing and market soybean production from Maluku Province.
Ilham added, Director of PT Kedelai Inti Raya Erick Teguh Herwinda had also visited the soybean development center areas in Maluku.
"We really appreciate it because even though this is still new, we have received support from farmers," he said
Ilham said that with an additional 5,000 hectares, his party was temporarily waiting for input from other regencies/cities. These areas will be included as candidate land which will be proposed to the ministry of agriculture.
"We are very optimistic about this development because soybeans from Ambon or Maluku already have buyers, namely PT Kedelai Inti Raya, to be processed here," he said. Maluku Distan Targets To Become National Soybean Center
Ilham said that previously the Distan opened the widest possible opportunity for districts/cities to develop soybeans, but there were problems related to marketing.
"Therefore, I myself made sure that at the beginning of developing soybeans, the market was first. Don't let them plant it and then get confused where to sell it," he said.
However, continued Ilham, as the MoU was signed with PT Kedelai Inti Raya, the concern about selling soybean products from Maluku no longer existed.
Ilham added that his party would try to process the results in the future by asking for assistance from the agriculture ministry
"The pattern we hope for is support from banks for access to capital, especially for farmers," he said
But until the signing of the MoU, Ilham said, several banks in Maluku province will still see what the results will be.
"In 2023, we will maximize it again so that the banking sector can participate in financing our farmers who develop soybeans," he explained.
Ilham said that the banking sector’s involvement in the development of soybeans in Maluku would be in line with the governor of Maluku's policy of making his region one of the national soybean development centers.
"We hope that Maluku will become a national soybean seed center. So far, we have obtained seeds from outside Maluku,
