We only need to have the will and the spirit.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo has said that the agricultural sector, considering its enormous potential, will become Indonesia's strength in the future.

“If we wish to develop this nation, agriculture is the most prepared sector. We already have the resources. However, we have to quickly catch up in every aspect," he remarked while giving a public lecture at the Agricultural Development Polytechnic, Bogor, West Java, according to a statement received here on Tuesday.

The digital era has significantly encouraged the acceleration of Indonesia's agricultural development, he noted.

“Nowadays, we can virtually have a meeting although we are in different places. It indicates a change of era. In this era, our agriculture can improve better than previous eras because everything has been facilitated digitally,” he explained.

He also encouraged millennials to leave the old mindset of farming. “The past paradigm is not relevant anymore. If we do not change, we will be left behind and lose," the minister remarked.

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There are several criteria that millennial farmers must meet in order to be successful in the sector, he informed. The first one is that millennial farmers have to associate well with nature, humans, and science, he said.

"For instance, in promoting exports, we have to be connected to international markets and interact with other countries," he added.

Furthermore, millennial farmers have to be able to compete fairly, Limpo said. In order to create a good competitive environment, fellow farmers should not pull each other down, he added.

Millennial farmers also need to be critical and have firm commitment, the minister said.

“We can get a lot of information by using digital technology. We only need to have the will and the spirit," he added.

Hence, he urged the millennial generation not to hesitate to become involved in the agricultural sector, saying farming has become easier and more efficient with the help of technology.

“Farming is now possible with gadgets, robot construction, and artificial intelligence. Farming can be done automatically with modern equipment,” he explained.

Meanwhile, head of the Agricultural Human Resources Training and Development Agency of the ministry, Dedi Nursyamsi, said he hoped that the polytechnic students could provide more jobs as millennial farmer entrepreneurs.

"The students have to be able to recruit local people to take part in the agricultural sector together,” he added.
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Translator: Aditya Ramadhan, Uyu Liman
Editor: Suharto
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