Ministry to open agribusiness markets in 34 provinces

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Agriculture Ministry is ready to develop agribusiness markets in 34 provinces in 2008 to make it easier for farmers to sell their products in urban centers directly, its chief said.

Speaking at the inauguration of a weekend market at Jakarta`s Monas Park here Saturday, Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said his ministry had already earmarked funds for the program.

The system would allow farmers to improve their bargaining position and increase their earnings by 23 percent, he said adding that the system had already been implemented in developed countries and even in Malaysia for the past 10 years.

Meanwhile, agricultural product management and marketing director general Djoko Said Damardjati said the Agriculture Ministry would allocate Rp100 million to Rp150 million for the development of each agribusiness market whose physical structures would be set up using the knock-down method.

He said at the beginning the ministry would finance transportation to carry the farmers` agricultural products from rural areas to urban markets for one year.

"Afterwards the farmers will pay for the transportation by themselves as selling goods at the agribusiness markets is a profitable business," he said.

The weekend market in Jakarta has 50 stands which are selling fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers, husbandry products and other processed products. The agricultural products come from the Bogor, Bandung, Cianjur, Depok, Sukabumi, Purwakarta and Banten areas.