Agus Maryono, Purwokerto – A group of farmers in West Ajibarang, Banyumas regency, on Wednesday set fire to seven tons of unhusked rice, claiming they had been betrayed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).
The farmers said the party had promised to buy their harvest at a high price, but had instead done nothing.
"We are really disappointed. We waited three months for PDI-P officials to make good on their promise, but nothing was done, and all the unhusked rice we harvested is now spoiled," said Sartono, 45, one of the affected farmers.
The rice, developed in a PDI-P-sponsored project, was called MSP – an abbreviation of Mari Sejahterakan Petani (let's make farmers wealthy), and also the initials of PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri.
At the launch of the project, the PDI-P's Banyumas office pledged to buy all the harvested rice at Rp 7,000 (72 US cents) per kilogram, some Rp 1,000 higher than the market price. But when harvest time rolled around, local party officials refused to buy the rice, arguing they did not have the money for it.
"From the very beginning, PDI-P Banyumas chairman Suherman convinced us his party would buy the entire harvest. Now we know it was all a lie," said 60-year-old Sujadi Sumarto, chairman of the West Ajibarang farmers group.
Sumarto added the MSP variety had given farmers a relatively large yield of seven tons of unhusked rice from the 1.5 hectares of fields used in the pilot project.
"With the promised price, we expected to earn some Rp 50 million from the harvest. But thanks to their deceit, it has turned into a big loss for us," Sumarto said.
He said because of the party's refusal to buy the rice, the group was unable to cultivate their fields for the last three months because they had no money to do so.
Sumarto also expressed concern over how a major political party like the PDI-P could deceive the public in such a way, especially with the 2009 general elections drawing nearer.
Along with the rice, the angry farmers also burned down a huge banner reading "Mari Sejahterakan Petani" with a picture of Megawati on it.
Supangat, deputy chairman of PDI-P Banyumas, confirmed the MSP project was a PDI-P national initiative. "Because it was also conducted in Banyumas, we were obliged to buy all the harvested rice.