Cooperative model development of agribusiness in Indonesia

摘要

The agricultural development paradigm has shifted from production oriented to a broader agribusiness spectrum. Within this spectrum, one of the Ministry of Agriculture's main development programs has been focused on the development of the agribusiness of reliable agricultural commodities in response to changes in the following strategic international environments: (1) increasing pressure to implement the GATT/WTO agreements; (2) the transportation, telecommunication and tourism revolutions; (3) the global movement of rehabilitation and conservation of natural resources and protection of human rights; and (4) a global trend towards improvement of product quality. Changes in the following domestic environments also have impacts: (1) macro-economic conditions; (2) social, cultural and political conditions; and (3) the demographic structure and problems of poverty. The agribusiness development programs may be viewed as being successful until a year before the adverse economic crisis in 1998. Since then, there has been a slow down in agribusiness activities. Conglomeration was seen as contributing to the failure to bring about a significant growth in the Indonesian economy in general and the agribusiness sector in particular and in improving the welfare distribution of society. Only a very small group of people become very rich, while the majority remains very poor. Conglomeration has been shown to exclude the development of most Indonesians. Cooperatives built many decades ago, therefore, remain relevant for improving the economy of the people since their main objective is to improve the welfare of their members. In the agribusiness sector, farmers constitute the only members of cooperatives. In this situation, the most challenging issue to be raised is how cooperatives can contribute to the development of the agribusiness sector through introduction or development of: (1) appropriate contract farming systems; (2) an appropriate financing system; and (3) appropriate marketing systems. To enable a designation of appropriate contract farming, financing and marketing systems, some research projects are needed.