VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOInews, Jakarta: The Ministry of Agriculture will build a 10,000-hectare modern agriculture cluster. As a first step, the development will begin in Bandung Regency, West Java by involving many parties including universities to attract millennials. This commitment was conveyed by Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman during a working visit to Solokan Jeruk Village, Bandung Regency, Tuesday (7/5/2024). "We want to create a cluster in West Java of 5,000 to 10,000 hectares. So, everything will use high technology that is in line with modern countries," said Minister Amran Sulaiman.

Mr Amran said the modern farming cluster is a future breakthrough to attract young people who are currently entering the demographic bonus. Later, millennials or gen z will operate drones, remote controls and other planting robots that can speed up production.

"There will be no manual planting. Everything is planted using machines, harvested using machines. We are enhancing our efforts so far with the use of technology and mechanisation," he said.

In the future, the Minister hopes that this modern agriculture cluster will trigger the expansion of modern agriculture in other areas so that Indonesia can become a model for Southeast Asia and ASEAN as a whole. "I want our agriculture to be an example for Southeast Asia and Asia. So fertilising is no longer manual but using drones," he added.

Bandung Regent Dadang Supriatna fully supports Ministry of Agriculture's efforts to build modern agriculture in his area. Moreover, he said, agriculture has proven to be the main support for economic growth in the Bandung area. "During Covid-19, Bandung's economic growth rate was minus 1.87 per cent, but now it has increased to 4.93 per cent. After we study and explore that it turns out, the majority of the main support in the economic growth rate of Bandung Regency comes from agriculture," he said.

Therefore, Dadang wants his people, who are mostly farmers, to make good use of all the programmes run by the Ministry of Agriculture, including pompanisation and modern agricultural clusters. "Thank you for your help and support so that we Bandung Regency farmers are ready to take steps to make Bandung Regency the location of future modern agriculture,"  Bandung Regent concluded.