The meaning of farmers in the midst of a pandemic

At least there is something we can still eat.” That sentence probably lingers in everyone’s mind lately.bIn this pandemic situation, a lot has not been easy lately.

But at least, no matter how bad it gets, enough food can still go around. Imagine if one day there is no food left, even for those who can afford it.

On that day we will be reminded that money cannot fill our stomach. A few while ago NARASI reports a story about a young farmer, named Dipa Kelana.

His testament proves that the pandemic hits every layer of society without an exception, including the food and agriculture sectors.

One of the sector that are supposed to be a priority to salvage. The irony, farmers are the ones who got impacted the most.

They are not only the frontiers, they are the single profession that ensures food security. The farmers has been through a-lot, only to distribute their yields.

Traditional market has shortened their operational period, some even got forcefully closed down due to one of their vendors got contracted with corona.

Even food supply for restaurant are not as big as they are used to. The results are farmers being forced to sell their crops to middleman.

Low prices are not a viable issue anymore, as long as they can get rid of their harvest to a buyer. This long red tape in the distribution line were supposed to be cut, so that farmer’s wish to gain a proper profit can be saved.

When farmers are the poorest people in the country, then the food security of that nation is on the line.

Lately, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned, that the pandemic has a potential to incite food scarcity, even emergency.

The main reason?

The lock down made mobility in many countries got interrupted, which makes international food distribution impaired.

Other than that, it is logical for every country to prioritise their own domestic needs rather than the need to supply other countries.

Everyone will save their food stocks for themselves. Hence, every country should be able to be independent to feed their own people.

Sadly, the data shows that Indonesia still depend their supply of some food comestible commodity to other nation.

So, what can we do?

It is important to direct our attention to the farming professions, so that being a farmer would not be perceived as an “outdated” profession, that has no future.

And the youngster do not have second thought on being one. The government also need to guard the prices for our foods, starting from the hands of the producers until the retail market.

The support systems of the farmers needs to be reinforced, so that prices that are set for farmers are not too far different with those you find in supermarkets. We ourselves can participate on helping and easing their distribution.