Agricom.id, BANDUNG – The Government of West Java is developing millennial farmers program as the support to Ministry of Agriculture to regenerate sustainable farmers.

Governor of West Java Province represented by Head of Economic Bureau, Beni Ahmad Bachtiar told that there have been 8 millennial farmers to be hoped as motivators.

“We have told to Minister (of Agriculture) that on 7 to 14 February, we did selection to cultivate abandoned areas covering 152 hectares. There were 9 thousand participants and 2.420 young farmers were selected," Beni said in his speech in Program Milenial Smartfarming kerjasama PT BNI with Ministry of Agriculture,  which was attended by Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo; Direktur Kelembagaan PT. BNI, Sis Apik Wijayanto; Commandant of Army 062/Tarumanagara, Muchidin; in the Village of Narawita, Sub district of Cicalengka District of Bandung, West Java Province, Wednesday (10/3), as in the official statement to Agricom.id.

Beni continued that the goal of the program is to hold back urbanization and give chance to those who were work in the manufacturers as they are unemployed.

Besides seeing the signing of memorandum of understanding between Ministry of Agriculture and PT. BNI, they also did massive harvest of corn in corporate base together with millennial farmers.

General Director of Food Plantation Ministry of Agriculture, Suwandi told that the corn harvest covered 30 hectares.

"Kelompok Tani Mekarsari III planted BISI 99 and BISI 18 within productivity about 7,32 tons per hectare. There is Koperasi Sinar Jagung Priangan in District of Bandung, within total kredit usaha rakyat (KUR) from PT. BNI reaching Rp 2,5 billion,” Suwandi told.

He also mentioned that in the future corn would be developed and planted covering 15 thousand hectares in the district.

"It is being managed to handle the harvest and post-harvest of corn. District of Bandung would grant about 5 hectares in Nagreg," he continued.

For information, the dry harvest corn is Rp 4.000 per kg within production cost per hectare reaching Rp 11.3000.000. The farmers would get Rp 29.280.000 per hectare or the profit would be Rp 17.980.000 per hectare. Some companies to buy the corn production are PT. HARIM, Charoen Pokphand, Bahuma, Malindo.

Meanwhile Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo (SYL) told that what could save the day is togetherness.

“The people’s belly is important. Everyone can do vaccine but if the people’s belly is hungry, they could be ‘monster’. To avoid it, we have to be there and do this,” SYL said.

He also explained that years before, the young generations went to the city to get some money but it is different now.

“The answer is agriculture. That is why the agriculture should not be stuck. The agriculture should be well designed and the millennial should do it,” SYL said. (A2)