DPD RI Committee II Pushes for Revision of Farmers Law: Focus on Insurance, Land Conversion, and Welfare

22 April 2026 oleh admin

dpd.go.id JAKARTA - Committee II of the DPD RI held an audience with the Central Board of the Indonesian Agricultural Economics Association (PP PERHEPI) to discuss involvement in the preparation of the Draft Law on the Third Amendment to Law Number 19 of 2013 concerning the Protection and Empowerment of Farmers.

The meeting, chaired by Abd Waris Halid, Vice Chairperson of Committee II of the House of Regional Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI), emphasized the importance of a clear direction for the law revision and its synchronization with other regulations, including those in the forestry sector. Several strategic issues were also highlighted, such as farmer protection, agricultural insurance, and land conversion.

Waris Halid emphasized that there remains uncertainty regarding the substance of the changes and definitions in the revised law. In the field, unregulated land conversion practices persist, weakening farmer protection.

"We see the need for clarity regarding the changes and the status of the revision, including the existing definitions. In the field, land conversions still occur that are not in accordance with the law, which impacts farmer protection," said Waris Halid in the Pajajaran Meeting Room, 2nd Floor, Building B, DPD RI, on Monday (20/4).

He also highlighted the suboptimal coverage of agricultural insurance, particularly in addressing the risk of crop failure. He believes the current scheme is unable to provide comprehensive protection for farmers.

"Insurance for agricultural products, such as rice, does exist, but comprehensive protection for farmers in the event of crop failure is still inadequate. This is a serious concern for us," he stressed.

Meanwhile, through a virtual meeting, Bedikenita Sitepu, Chairperson of Committee II of the House of Regional Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPD RI), stated that PERHEPI's input was a significant addition to the discussions on the revised law. She emphasized the importance of social protection, including guarantees for farmers who experience work-related accidents.

"We are grateful that this meeting provided comprehensive material on farmer protection and welfare. If a farmer experiences a work-related accident, there should be additional benefits that can double their monthly income. However, this benefit is only accessible to farmers who are members of a farmer group," explained Badikenita.

According to Bedikenita, an ideal protection scheme should provide significant additional benefits, even up to twice the monthly income. However, access to these benefits is currently limited to farmers in farmer groups.

"An ideal protection scheme should provide significant additional benefits, even doubling a farmer's monthly income. However, currently, access to these benefits is limited to farmers in farmer groups," said Bedikenita.

Responding to this, Department Head Bustanul Arifin emphasized the importance of learning from international practices, such as those in Taiwan, which has implemented a pension scheme for farmers. He believes this system contributes to improving welfare while encouraging farmer regeneration.

"In Taiwan, a pension scheme for farmers has been in place for a long time. It's challenging at first, but in the long run, it provides guaranteed well-being. If a pension system is implemented, farmer regeneration can also proceed smoothly," said Bustanul.

Meanwhile, Khudori emphasized that the law revision is urgently needed to address the dynamics of the agricultural sector, including addressing overlapping policies and ensuring farmer protection in the context of land conversion and National Strategic Projects.

"If existing regulations aren't updated promptly, they will become increasingly irrelevant to conditions on the ground. Harmonization with other laws is also a challenge due to overlapping policies," Khudori said. DPD RI Committee II will use the results of this hearing as study material and a reference for future policies. One of the steps being considered is conducting a comparative study abroad to enrich policy perspectives.