Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman stated in a press conference after a meeting with Manpower Minister Yassierli here on Monday that both ministries have signed a cooperation agreement.
"We are seeking to build modern agriculture, modern agriculture clusters to achieve food self-sufficiency and to become the world's food hub," he affirmed.
The minister highlighted the plan to develop 3 million hectares of paddy fields and conduct land optimization to boost agricultural productivity and support the development of modern agricultural clusters in Indonesia.
Sulaiman emphasized the importance of collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower, which has 300 to 500 instructors, to ensure the successful implementation of the modern agricultural program across Indonesia.
As part of the collaboration, the Ministry of Manpower's instructors will be deployed to the five priority provinces of South Papua, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, and South Sumatra to support agricultural development.
He noted that to date, more than 27 thousand millennial farmers have registered to participate in the modern agricultural program, which involves the introduction of technology to the younger generation.
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As part of this program, the Ministry of Agriculture has distributed approximately 3,600 units of agricultural equipment to millennial farmers, and the total will reach at least seven thousand units nationwide.
He underscored that the program's success depends significantly on the availability of trained mechanics, a need that the Ministry of Manpower will meet.
The collaboration is expected to generate new jobs in the agriculture sector so as to reduce the unemployment rate and improve the welfare of communities in villages.
Beyond boosting farmers' income, this initiative aims to lower the poverty rate and foster people-centric economic growth, ultimately contributing to GDP growth.
Meanwhile, Yassierli expressed his ministry's readiness to support the Ministry of Agriculture in building modern agricultural clusters to achieve food self-sufficiency.
He detailed that his ministry has prepared up to 500 instructors and skilled mechanics for the collaboration.
The minister views the cooperation as a positive step with potential for a significant impact on Indonesia's employment sector. The collaboration is expected to create new opportunities in the modern agriculture sector.
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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Raka Adji
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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