Marciel said the main purpose of the program is to help farmers to concentrate more on boosting production, which is also in line with the Indonesian government`s program.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The United States will launch an Agribusiness Market and Support Activity (AMARTA II) program worth 15 million US dollars to support food and agribusiness resilience in Indonesia early in March 2012.

"In a meeting between US President Barack Obama and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in November last year, they agreed to cooperate in food endurance and boost agricultural production," US Ambassador to Indonesia Scot Marciel said here on Wednesday.

Marciel said the main purpose of the program is to help farmers to concentrate more on boosting production, which is also in line with the Indonesian government`s program.

"We will invite researchers, business corporations and government officials to talk, and various technologies and information to boost agricultural production," Marciel said.

Marciel added that Indonesia has so many opportunities to boost agricultural production especially now that the world is in need of more food and increase agricultural production.

"This kind of cooperation is a good example which proved that cooperation between the two countries is not only to have talks, but also to solve problems together to increase agricultural production," Marciel added.

In the meantime, Emeritus President of Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Roger Beachy, said the cooperation is not a one-way project from the US to Indonesia only, but Indonesian scientists are also expected to give their inputs to their American counterparts.

"The two countries have very clever and intelligent people to join boosting food production" Beachy said, adding that Indonesia is expected to increase its role in G-8 and G-20, and create new policies of boosting food production.

Deputy director of USAID in Indonesia Brian Dusza said AMARTA II will be focused on cocoa production in Sulawesi, coffee in North Sumatera, and horticulture in West Java.

"Right now we are still completing a working program which may be launched by the end of February or early in March, 2012," Dusza said.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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