Encourage Gen Z to become farmers, academics: fill up a minimum of 1 hectare of land first
Millennial farmer growth programs often stop because novice farmers find it difficult to meet the minimum land economic scale.
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By
MAWAR KUSUMA WULAN
·4 minutes read
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Currently, Indonesian farmers are still dominated by the older group, with more than 70 percent of farmers over 43 years old. For the sake of farmer regeneration, the Presidential Staff Office or KSP is committed to encouraging the Gen Z generation to become farmers. However, academics assess that the younger generation is reluctant to farm because they must have at least 1 hectare of rice field to be able to live a decent life.
Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko emphasized that farmer regeneration programs must be carried out inclusively and collaboratively in order to accelerate the process. "With the aging demographic of current farmers, there is an urgent need to encourage younger generations to be interested in entering the agricultural sector as a career option," said Moeldoko in a press release issued on Thursday (9/5/2024).
The aim of this program is to produce young farmers who are adaptive to various agricultural methods, such as permaculture, environmentally friendly agriculture, the use of simple and appropriate technology, to smart agriculture that utilizes internet of things technology. /i> (IoT). Moeldoko emphasized that this program must have a direct impact in increasing the number of competent and innovative young farmers.
Based on agricultural census data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), currently more than 70 percent of Indonesian farmers are over 43 years old, with only 2.14 percent falling into the young or Gen Z category. This situation adds urgency to promoting regeneration among young people to ensure national food security.
With the aging demographic of farmers today, there is an urgent need to encourage younger generations to become interested in the agrarian sector as a career choice.
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The lecturer of the Agricultural Economics Program at the Faculty of Agriculture, Gadjah Mada University, Gilang Wirakusuma, stated that the agricultural workforce and farmers are indeed dominated by the elderly population. This condition is a global trend when young and productive workers tend to work in non-agricultural sectors.
The presence of Gen Z farmers is also expected to contribute to the revitalization of Indonesia's agricultural sector. Moeldoko believes that the emergence of new companies managed by young farmers can be a catalyst for the younger generation to enter the agricultural sector. ”Making the agricultural sector an attractive profit field that has significant development potential is essential. "Especially with the application of the latest technology," said Moeldoko.
The farmer regeneration program initiated by KSP will also involve several stakeholders across ministries, institutions, Pramuka youth organizations, state-owned enterprises, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as well as the Indonesian Farmers Unity Association (HKTI). The aim is to create an ecosystem that supports the growth of skilled and knowledgeable young farmers.
The meeting led by Moeldoko regarding farmer regeneration at the Bina Graha Building on Wednesday (8/5/2024) was also attended by the Deputy of Food in the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs and a representative from FAO, Dida Gardera. They reached a consensus on strengthening the farmer regeneration program through collaboration. This partnership will revitalize the agriculture sector by integrating modern technology.
Dida Gardera stated that the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs fully supports the farmer regeneration program initiated by KSP. "We plan to develop a collaborative platform that will unite various stakeholder programs for more effective synergy," said Dida.
Editor:
SUHARTONO
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