Agriculture Minister: Technology-Innovation are The Main Keys

JAKARTA DAILY - The quality of agricultural and derivative products is important in penetrating international markets and the Agriculture Ministry says it is empowering farmers from the upstream and downstream sectors to come up with ever better products.

“Technology and innovation are the main keys to developing sustainable agriculture and food systems,” Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo said, as quoted by a press release issued by the ministry. The minister was speaking at the One Day with Indonesian Coffee, Fruits, Floriculture (ODICOFF) event in Washington, DC on Tuesday afternoon.

ODICOFF is a tour of various countries to push the export of agricultural products and this year was hosted by the ministry’s agriculture facilities and infrastructure directorate general. The ministry's agriculture infrastructures and facilities director general, Ali Jamil, said Indonesian coffee was a sought-after commodity on the international market and various businesses had expressed their interest in the potential development of Indonesian signature coffee.

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One of the businesses, Ali said, was PT Java Preanger Lestari Mandiri (JPLM), which was under the ministry’s guidance through the Development of Integrated Farming System in Upland Area (Upland) program. Upland is a cooperative project involving Indonesia and the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Islamic Development Bank and focuses on comprehensive agricultural activities in highland areas. The activities include on-farm and off-farm to increase farmers’ productivity and incomes.

“There are four components in the program. First, to increase productivity and establish food resiliency. The second component is to develop agribusiness and increase farmers’ incomes,” Ali said. “The third component is strengthening the institutional system and the last component is project management.”

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Ali said that JPLM managed a coffee corporation in Bandung regency, West Java, which opened up market opportunities to several countries. “Our farmers must have the capability to export coffee. Countries such as Australia, Japan, Morocco, Turkey and those in Europe and the Caribbean are open for our agricultural products,” he said.

“Turkey, for example, is a marketing gateway for all products to North Africa and Europe.” The development of coffee in Bandung regency is right on target, Ali added. “To increase the production and quality of java preanger coffee, upstream coffee development is achieved by using certified and quality seeds, the implementation of good and environmentally friendly agricultural and manufacturing practices,” he said.

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Coffee plantations in Bandung regency are developed in collaboration with state-owned forestry company PT Perhutani, which provides the land through the forestry village communal institution (LMDH) mechanism, Ali said. “This way, sustainable coffee production will go hand in hand with forest conservation and by minimizing deforestation and degradation,” he said.***