“Bangsa yang kerja keras, bukan bangsa tempe, bukan bangsa kuli. Bangsa yang rela menderita demi pembelian cita-cita.” This sentence is one of those quoted from President Soekarno’s speech. From the time of the revolution until now, ‘tempeh’ has been associated with negative connotations meaning easy to give up and weak.
Although soybeans and its processed products are the prima donna in every Indonesian food, in fact tempeh currently comes from imported soybean processing. Countries such as America and Brazil have succeeded in controlling 80% of the global market, including Indonesia, some of which consumes soybean processing. In Indonesia itself, the volume of American exports reached 90% per year, the highest in 2017. A country that has a smaller production compared to its consumption side can fill the gap by buying from other countries (Mankiw 2003). This context is the beginning of the terminology of imports.
The latest data shows that the average soybean productivity in Indonesia reaches 14.56 ku/ha with Central Kalimantan as the province with the highest productivity above 20 ku/ha. Monoculture cultivation and planting in bee swamp rice fields are considered to have the highest average productivity. This data refers to the results of the BPS Ubinan Survey (2023). Several studies have shown that the challenges of climate change that are currently rife do not reduce soybean productivity.
Considering the large domestic soybean demand for industrial supplies (tofu, tempeh, soy sauce, etc.) which produce food for the majority of the Indonesian population, it is necessary to direct efforts to increase domestic soybean production and reduce soybean imports.
What Causes Import Dependence in Indonesia?
- Demand for soybeans as a source of protein that is easily found in the market for direct or indirect consumption
- Decreasing planting area
- The soybean processing industry has a high preference for imported soybeans
- Conversion of soybean land into other more profitable food commodities
- Local soybeans in Indonesia tend to be more expensive compared to the price of imported soybeans
Based on the description above, the question arises why is soybean production and productivity in Indonesia low?
The question requires a comprehensive study of each soybean farmer’s farming efforts including planting patterns, production technology, land area and soybean marketing. The measure of farming success is stated in the income statement including analysis of costs and farming revenues. In addition, there are internal and external factors that influence the success of farming efforts. Explained by Yolynda et al. (2015) internal factors include farmer management as managers, land, labor, capital, level of technology, and farmer ability in applying farming revenues. While external factors of farming efforts include transportation and communication facilities, marketing aspects, and extension for farmers
Many soybean farmers with narrow or large land have very simple and less intensive land management. For example, excessive use of seeds and not using superior seeds because they are not available in the market. Meanwhile, the quality of the seeds themselves affects the level of production. The use of other inputs such as fertilizers or pesticides that are not the right type, right dose, right time, right method, and right target affect soybean production. Soybean farming is also only done once a year with an average narrow land area with high production costs and low efficiency. This further adds to the reason for the need for a comprehensive study so that Indonesian soybeans can match imported soybeans. Referring to the previous quote from President Soekarno, we should not want to be oppressed by other nations like tempeh and be able to stand on our own two feet. Tempeh here refers to its manufacture which begins with stepping on soybeans as a way to peel the seeds before being fermented.
Sustainable strategies and land optimization can support increased soybean productivity, especially for local Indonesian farmers. With steps towards an independent nation, we are ready to support local farmers in increasing soybean production and productivity in Indonesia in order to balance the quality and price of imported soybeans. In addition, supporting soybeans to compete with other protein sources including animal protein.
