The Agriculture Ministry and animal feed producer PT Charoen Pokphand Indonesia have launched a mobile corn drier to help farmers solve post-harvesting issues.

“This (mobile corn drier) is a milestone for the Indonesian agriculture industry,” Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman noted at the launch of the mobile corn drier here on Friday.

The locally-made corn drier will help farmers to dry the commodity at production centers, as currently, they have to send it first to the factory.

Sulaiman explained that the drier will save transportation costs and minimize contamination, so it is expected to improve the quality of post-harvest corn and boost the farmers` income.

“It is produced locally and not imported,” the minister reiterated.

Meanwhile, President Commissioner of PT Charoen Pkphand Indonesia Hadi Gunawan Tjoe remarked that the company has worked closely with the ministry to built the mobile corn drier in a bid to encourage corn self-sufficiency.

The mobile unit will be tested in the company`s plant in Lampung despite its direct field test in cooperation with the National Outstanding Farmers and Fishermen Association.

Head of the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies Advisory Board Saidah Sakwan noted that the government should encourage farm intensification of corn to boost its competitiveness in term of quality, price, and adequacy.

According to Saidah, imports would be an alternative to meet the local demand when national corn production is inadequate. The government can impose import tariffs for corn.

Source: antaranews.com