Frans B.M. Dabukke, an expert staff member at the ministry, stressed that the participation of young farmers is essential for farmer regeneration, sustainable innovation, and the advancement of agriculture that adapts to technological progress.
“Hopefully, this can serve as an opportunity for young farmers to provide and expand modern agricultural services,” Dabukke said at a grand harvest festival in Subang, West Java, on Saturday.
During the event, he observed the use of drones for rice seed spreading, which he said should become a new standard in modern farming managed by the younger generation.
He noted that the modern approach is expected to raise productivity levels significantly, with yields targeted to increase from 10 tons per hectare to as much as 14 tons per hectare.
The ministry also emphasized the importance of replicating and expanding technology-based agricultural communities to encourage greater participation among young farmers in building sustainable agriculture.
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According to Dabukke, digital technology can assist young farmers in optimizing land mapping, fertilization, and pest control.
These improvements, he added, are expected to accelerate food self-sufficiency while enhancing Indonesia’s agricultural competitiveness.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has expressed optimism that Indonesia will soon achieve rice self-sufficiency, supported by rising national rice production.
“God willing, within the next three months, if there are no obstacles, we will be able to declare that Indonesia has achieved rice self-sufficiency,” he said in a statement issued on Friday.
Statistics Indonesia (BPS) projects that total rice production from January to November 2025 will reach 33.19 million tons, an increase of 12.62 percent compared with 29.47 million tons in the same period last year.
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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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