Of course, the emergence of young farmers must be accompanied by prudent food policies that can accommodate the needs for successful cultivation and harvest.
Food sovereignty means giving farmers the freedom to develop the type of cultivation they are interested in, which adapts to climate and land conditions, while business entities and the government play a greater role in providing facilities and support.
According to head of the Agricultural Extension and Human Resources Development Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dedi Nursyamsi, innovation and technology are key to boosting agricultural production with the ultimate goal of realizing food self-sufficiency.
However, to reach food self-sufficiency, sovereignty must always be the basis.
Sovereignty is important to create excellent agricultural human resources. Various experiences show that many farmers do not continue farming because of crop failure. Thus, the government is very careful in fostering farmers, especially young people, to encourage them to continue pursuing their respective fields of expertise.
Innovation and technology in agriculture must continue to be introduced to farmers in regions. This is because today's farmers, in addition to being technologically literate, are also more likely to adopt new technologies and innovations. They are the ones who will decide the best technology and innovation to use.
For example, corn is one of the commodities that support national food self-sufficiency. Developing quality corn seeds must ensure they meet the criteria, namely, they must be resistant to stem borer pests and herbicide-tolerant.
That way, farmers' production can multiply, while the cost of fertilizers can be reduced. This could eventually boost farmers' enthusiasm to carry out planting activities.
According to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the production of dried corn kernels with 14 percent water content reached 14.77 million tons in 2023.
With the help of policies, the government is continuing to push for an increase in national corn production to achieve food self-sufficiency.
This increase in production is in line with Indonesia's target of becoming the world's food hub by 2045, when it is expected to not only meet domestic needs, but also carry out exports.
To reach the target, in addition to extensive and fertile agricultural lands, the country also needs human resource improvement, farmer regeneration, adequate infrastructure, good regulations, and agricultural technology innovations.
Added value
To increase sovereignty, the innovations and technologies offered must provide added value. This would allow farmers in the field to feel that their farming results can provide more income for their families.
According to Imam Sujono, seed marketing head of agrochemical company Syngenta Indonesia, beginning farmers are willing to use the latest technology and innovation if they have used them directly in the field and have seen the results themselves. Therefore, the role of extension workers is very important to introduce technologies and innovations to farmers.
For instance, seeds are often introduced using a demonstration plot system, under which demonstration plots are created so that farmers can see the superiority of a variety for themselves.
The use of high-quality superior seeds is the main key to successfully realizing food self-sufficiency. Without quality seeds, farmers will not be able to achieve optimal production, especially amid the challenges of climate change, limited fertilizers, and attacks by pests and plant diseases.
Farmers are hoping that existing technologies and innovations can provide advantages, including making it easier to take care of plants, cheaper costs as they will not need to use pesticides and human resources, and greater results.
The presence of superior seeds could not only optimize farmers' harvests but also make farmers more confident about farming.
Farmers in the country are also more careful in adopting technologies and innovations, including in using superior seeds. They study the harvest results of the seeds and even discuss them with other farmers.
Continual research
According to chairperson of the Andalan Farmers and Fishers Community (KTNA), young farmers currently have a high awareness of increasing production by utilizing innovations and technologies.
Therefore, it is the obligation of the government and companies engaged in agriculture to conduct continuous research for the emergence of technologies and innovations, especially for superior seeds.
This is considered necessary given the increasingly diverse pests and extreme climates that demand the use of superior seeds that can guarantee successful harvests.
Guidance for beginning farmers is also a solution to food self-sufficiency, particularly education that is based on geographical conditions and the carrying capacity of the environment.
In Jakarta, the provincial government's policies to realize food self-sufficiency need a mature strategy considering that the availability of agricultural lands in the province is limited.
In addition, not all residents understand crop cultivation. There are only a few who do, such as residents who live on permanent cropland in East Jakarta and West Jakarta.
Collaboration with farmers in rice and corn production centers is a smart step to build food self-sufficiency there.
As a center for the development of technologies and innovations, Jakarta must carry out interventions in partner regions so that they achieve large production of premium quality.
Furthermore, in the province's Seribu Islands, reaching food self-sufficiency by utilizing agricultural lands requires mature planning. It is necessary to study the islanders' mastery of agriculture in depth. If the local government wants to develop an agricultural center, it is better to start with something that is easy to learn, while also taking into account the interests of residents.
The residents of Seribu Islands are mostly working as fishers and seaweed farmers, while some are working in the tourism sector. Thus, to make one of the islands a food center, forethought, for instance, regarding seeds, climate, and irrigation, is needed.
Related news: Govt seeks transportation subsidies for C Kalimantan food producers
Related news: Farmers' regeneration essential for Indonesia's food security: CIPS
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
