MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, SRAGEN — The Muhammadiyah Council for Community Empowerment (MPM) and the Muhammadiyah Council for Economy and Entrepreneurship (MEK) collaborated to empower members of the Muhammadiyah Farmer Association (JATAM) and to cut the chain of agricultural product sales.
The Chair of the MPM M. Nurul Yamien said the long chain of agricultural product sales is an issue to resolve because it turned farming products cheap. Indeed, if markets press them, they sell their products to middlemen.
Thus, agricultural product trade including rice of the JATAM should be efficient. The products should immediately be sold to consumers and do not pass the long chain. According to M. Yamien, the MPM empowered farmers to have power over their own product prices.
“Efficient product access enables to optimize the result,” said Yamien on Thursday (23/2) in Sragen.
Since the issue was urgent, Yamien expected that collaboration could be undertaken to achieve food sovereignty. Besides, commitment to empowering farmers should be understood as a command mentioned on Al-Qur’an because assisting the poor culturally and structurally is part of the spirit of Al-Ma’un taught by Ahmad Dahlan.
Meanwhile, Arif Budimanta said Muhammadiyah has fantastic economic and business potential, so empowerment should be carried out in several areas of Indonesia.
Arif Budimanta wished that the collaboration could enhance income, operation, and reputation.
Besides, responding to the issue of cooking oil being monopolized by large capital owners, Arif said that the Muhammadiyah Council for Economy and Entrepreneurship would develop red cooking oil to accommodate products from small farmers.
