The agriculture training program had stopped for two years. Hence, we could see the public enthusiasm to attend the training classes when the program restarted
Jakarta (ANTARA) - House of Representatives' (DPR RI's) Commission IV member Renny Astuti urged the Agriculture Ministry to optimize the utilization of budget for the farmers' agriculture training and prioritize dissemination of agriculture-related knowledge after the program's resumption.

"The agriculture training program had stopped for two years. Hence, we could see the public enthusiasm to attend the training classes when the program restarted," Astuti stated in Jakarta, Wednesday.

The House member acknowledged the palpable enthusiasm among farmers, especially those in her constituency, to partake in the agriculture training and attend the classes.

Astuti urged the ministry to draft more flexible and result-oriented technical training guidelines and plan training subjects that are more reflective of the actual situations faced by farmers on a daily basis.

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"I noticed the guidelines directed one particular training to be held at hotels. I urge the official to revise the guidelines, so training classes could take place anywhere, as not all regions have hotels, with sufficient capacity, to host training participants," she stated.

Astuti was appreciative that the Young Agriculture Entrepreneur programme held by the ministry's Human Resource Research and Development Agency successfully nurtured potential agriculture entrepreneurs among the youth.

She noted that students of agriculture studies from several universities of South Sumatra were recruited by the Palembang Agriculture Office that assigned them to their program.


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While lauding the ministry's measures to develop advanced and modern agriculture, Astuti was critical of the substandard quality of plant seeds provided and urged for improving it.

"I admitted that the quality of several plant seeds we received is bad, and their size too is small. The crop would be more prone to fail when the farmers use those plant seeds. This issue should be addressed properly by the ministry," Astuti emphasized.

Commission IV of the DPR RI will host a hearing meeting with the Agriculture Ministry today to deliberate on the ministry's program and budget allocation plan for 2022. The hearing meeting aims to follow up on the progress reported at the earlier hearing meeting on Sept 7.


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Translator: Aditya R, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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