Indonesians in Focus: Untung Wiyono

By Barrie | December 2nd, 2007 | No Comments

“There are always risks with agricultural chemicals. They can poison you and cause poor soil fertility,” Sragen Regent Untung Wiyono has been known to say in convincing others to adopt organic farming practices. The regent, who has been promoting organic agriculture since he was elected in 2001, said fertility was restored to the land around Sragen after farmers committed to working in harmony with the environment.

“Now our soil is the most fertile in Central Java province,” said Untung who was reelected in 2006.

He acknowledged it had not been easy to get farmers to reduce their reliance on chemical-intensive methods.

“They used to apply urea and pour pesticides on their crops,” the father of five said.

He said the Soeharto administration had “forced” farmers to use chemicals to increase sustainable rice production.

Untung, who is also an acclaimed puppeteer, said the excessive use of low-quality and often untested agricultural chemicals over the years had harmed the environment.

The regent often uses public occasions, particularly puppet shows, to tell people about the benefits of growing and consuming organic food.

Sragen residents say Untung holds free puppet shows in conjunction with weddings and other festive occasions, which also serve to boost his popularity.

Untung, who was a businessman before he became regent, sees organic agriculture from the viewpoint of society as a whole, rather than from an environmental perspective only.

He says farmers do not need to buy costly pesticides and fertilizers for organic farming, which makes it a potential “cure” for poverty in some areas.

“In the future, organic farming will give us even more benefits,” he said, highlighting time and cost-saving benefits.

Untung is now developing his private property, which was mostly arid land, into an agriculture resort with a number of guesthouses.

“I bought the land when I was still a businessman. The land was barren and neglected, but now many trees have grown there,” he said.

Born in Dayu village in the regency on Oct. 16, 1950, Untung started his career as a professional in oil companies. After working for 12 years he established his own companies.

His experience in business has given him a unique insight into how to run an administration efficiently. Right after being elected, Untung reduced the list of requirements for business permit applications.

He established the so-called “one roof system” so investors only had to go to one place to get a permit.

“We don’t want to make life difficult for investors. With new investments, more jobs will be created in the regency,” he said.

Untung said securing an investment permit in the regency, which usually took a month, had been reduced to a 12-day process.

He said the adjustments to the application process might temporarily cause a drop in the regency’s income, but new investments would also stimulate economic growth.

In 2004, investment in small and medium enterprises in the regency reached Rp 35 billion, while investment in bigger businesses reached Rp 390 billion, reportedly due to the implementation of the one roof system.

Untung said the unemployment rate in the regency was also low. You rarely see street singers or beggars on Sragen’s streets.

“If we see a jobless person, we will offer them training. They can then create their own job. Here, people are ashamed if they don’t have a job,” he said.

He said the regency had established many training centers, offering everything from craft classes to IT courses.

The regent has been encouraging government employees to take courses in computer proficiency.

Risa Bhinekawati, executive director of the Danamon Care Foundation, which will donate a composting machine to the regency, met Untung once in Jakarta a few months ago.

Risa had been keeping in touch with the regent through emails before she visited the regency last month.

“It’s now usual for us to email one another. We can also gain information, including on agriculture, from the internet,” she said.

Recently, the regency was declared an e-regency by a Jakarta magazine because of the computer proficiency of administration employees.

In the hands of Untung, organic farming, investment and information and technology practices can be applied harmoniously, for the good of all.

A. Junaidi