To this day the spread of Covid-19 in Indonesia is still a big problem. The numbers continue to grow and there are no signs of a decline. Data as of May 18, 2020, positive patients of Covid-19 in Indonesia touched 18,010 cases, of which 1,191 died.

However, this condition does not seem to have limited the activities of farmers in almost all regions of Indonesia. As seen in Purworejo Regency for example. Even though Purworejo is currently the district with the highest Covid-19 score in Central Java (68 positive cases), farmers seem to be doing their usual activities. Many farmers even still work without wearing masks or applying advice to keep their distance. Indeed ceremonial agricultural activities such as farmer group meetings, and the like are temporarily eliminated.

Farmers are not without problems in the midst of this pandemic. Rice farmers are now faced with the problem of crop yields due to pests and diseases. A rice farmer in Pituruh Subdistrict even claimed that his current rice yield had dropped by 90%. An area of ​​1 ering (around 1750 square meters) which usually produces 8 quintals to 1 ton of grain, this time the harvest only gets 1 quintal.

Another case experienced by vegetable and fruit growers. The yield this time was quite abundant. This is based on previous experience, where the prices of vegetables and fruits will reach their peak during the fasting month and Eid. So that many farmers deliberately plant with the hope of harvesting now.

The main problem faced by farmers now is the difficulty of selling crops at reasonable prices. A rice farmer from the district of Need says the current price of grain is Rp. 450,000 to 460,000 / quintal. Even though in normal conditions the price is Rp. 500,000 / quintal. Even when famine can be up to Rp. 600,000 / quintal. Chillies are valued at Rp.12,500 / kg, far from what the government has set at Rp. 35,000 / kg.

The burden on farmers feels heavier with the increase in prices of fertilizers and medicines. Muhtarom, a farmer in Bayan sub-district complained about the increase in fertilizer prices. One sack of urea fertilizer which normally costs Rp. 90,000 now goes up to Rp. 95,000 / sack. Black fertilizer prices are usually Rp. 100,000 / sack increase to Rp. 110,000 / sack. The condition is indeed not directly related to the Covid-19 pandemic, but because it happened in the middle of a pandemic, this was a blow to the farmers.

On the other hand, the government is actively seeking to break the chain of the spread of the Covid-19 virus, by issuing new PSBB (Large-Scale Social Restrictions) policies, limiting market opening hours, closing tourist attractions, hotels and restaurants, ban on going home, etc. so. These policies have had many impacts on farmers.

Even though the Minister of Health Regulation No. 9 of 2020 concerning PSBB in the Framework of Accelerating Handling in 2020 concerning PSBB in the Framework of Accelerating the Handling of Coronavirus Disease 2019, it is stated that exceptions to food transport, conditions on the ground may be different. Even in Lamongan, it was mentioned that there was a village government that restricted outsiders who wanted to enter their territory in anticipation of the spread of COVID-19. This restriction also applies to traders who want to buy crops, must be checked and quarantined beforehand by the village. As a result, traders who intend to buy the products of farmers are reluctant to enter the area.

The policy of closing hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions makes the supply of vegetables and fruits faltered. Previously, these places were quite favorite markets for vegetable and fruit commodities.

The prohibition of going home policy for migrants has its own impact. For the people of southern Purworejo which is a center for the cultivation of vegetables and fruits, they will usually sell their harvest commodities in stalls along the Deandles road which is a homecoming route from the Greater Jakarta area. There was a significant decrease in sales because there were no more homecomers who passed that route. Quite often they have to sell at low prices, rather than left to rot. In fact, many of the stalls now choose to close their businesses.

In Malang, the Governor of East Java's plan to implement the PSBB was welcomed by the vegetable farming community by distributing free vegetables from their crops such as mustard greens, spinach, etc. to the people who passed along the Kedungrejo highway (Friday, 17/05) / 2020). Some vegetable farmers even chose to park their vegetable motorbikes on the bridge and throw the vegetable ties into the river as a form of their disappointment.

Concrete steps must be taken immediately to save the fate of farmers. Not all have to depend on central policy. The government has given authority to villages to allocate up to 20% of village funds in the form of Covid-19 Social Assistance. Villages can purchase farmers' crops at reasonable prices and then return them to affected people through the Social Aid program.

Vegetables and fruits that are decaying faster can be purchased by BUMDes for further processing into more durable products, such as sauces, sweets, and others. It would be even better in processing to optimize the local workforce by doing it at home. The solution will be safe because it can still keep a distance, as well as can increase the income of citizens in the midst of economic difficulties due to the pandemic.

The village can also facilitate the procurement of a market center as a place for buying and selling transactions between farmers and traders who will buy the harvest. Helps disseminate information about its whereabouts to traders. The place is always monitored so that the village's goals in preventing Covid-19 transmission can still be fulfilled.

However saving farmers is a shared responsibility. The role of farmers is vital in providing food for the entire nation. With an average indicator of household food expenditure still around 50 percent of total expenditure, it can be said that food is the determinant of the average life-or-death of Indonesian households.

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This article was first published in:

https://www.harianjateng.com/read/2020/05/30/upaya-menyelamatkan-petani-di-tengah-pandemi/