Agricom.id, JAKARTA – Regeneration of the farmer becomes one key factor to make the agriculture go forward and modern in Indonesia. By the regeneration, usual the land cultivation and production process would be more productive and efficient by advantaging the technology and creative in innovation.

“The key of the farmer and agriculture in technology are the regeneration of the farmers. To get the young generations into the agriculture is that we have to make the agriculture something promising and profitable by opening the market access, innovation, and technology,” Chairman of Pemuda Tani, Himpunan Kerukunan Tani Indonesia (HKTI), Rina Sa’adah Adisurya in the Asian Agriculture and Food Forum (ASAFF) 2020 Jakarta, Friday (13/3/2020).

She also told that the regeneration is important to solve the decreasing numbers of the farmers. Quoting from Central Bureau of Statistic (CBS), she showed that in two years (2016 – 2018), the numbers of farmers in Indonesia got less significantly – reaching four million farmers. One factor was the slow regeneration process.

The data from The Counseling and Agriculture Human Resource Development Agency, Ministry of Agriculture showed that 90 percent of the total farmers in Indonesia are in ‘non-productive phase’. So it needs solution to create the regeneration of farmers.

Now there are 33,4 million farmers in Indonesia. Of the numbers, 2,7 million are the millennial, and 30,4 million are the ‘old ages’, We are facing the age of the farmers.

The CBS data also showed that in many villages, about 4 percent of the young generations are about 15 – 23 years old who are interested in being the farmers. The rests still choose to work in industry, small and medium industry, or informal sector in the city because the sectors are potential to make welfare in the future.

She also explained that the revitalization of the agriculture is important with the regeneration of the farmers. It is reasonable because the numbers of young generation are less than three million men while our agriculture areas reach about 7,78 million hectares.

The minimal interest of the millennial generation to be farmers and work directly in the agriculture means that the nowadays agriculture would not give profit anymore. Besides in the social status, it is the low class. These make the young loss their passion to be farmers.

This situation could negatively implicate to targets of the government, that is, to make Indonesia as the world barn in 2045. So it needs to emphasize that involving them is the key. The modern agriculture is the solution to get them involved in the agriculture.

The millennial should be encouraged to be the farmers. To be the farmers is cool and needs to know technology.

She continued, Pemuda Tani HKTI would do its best to be active to create the regeneration of the farmers. As parts of the nation, the organization is called to participate to support the government to develop the agriculture in Indonesia.

President Joko Widodo himself ordered his ministers to prepare the young generations to face the industrial revolution era, 4.0, including the millennial farmers. That is why ministry of agriculture targeted to multiply one million young farmers to make Indonesia better. If it is realized, Indonesia would be prosperous in the future because the agriculture is the prior sector within many markets in the world. The international now needs food as the main food to be available in every single day.

The climate and chance to exports should widely open. The agriculture in Indonesia should be supported by the superior human resources to innovate and adapt with the technology.

In the future the millennial farmers should reflect the spirit of resurrection and glory of agrarian country as the way of the government to make Indonesia as the world food barn. They are hoped to give spirit in farming to this country.

If it is done, Indonesia could surpass Brazil and America as the advance countries in agriculture. We together need to support it, how the millennial farmers have spirit.

The elected Chairman of HKTI, 2020-2023, Moeldoko thought that the agriculture is identical with the old men for all these years. But in the aboard, the millennial play their roles that make the agriculture go forward within the technology.

“It needs to spread the spirit for the millennial in Indonesia, that is, the changing mindset – the agriculture is not for the old men,” he said.

This is the reason why in the second event of ASAFF 2020, HKTI gave the roles to the millennial. He thought that the future of the agriculture in Indonesia is the technology advantage that could support the productivity.

One young community in agriculture in the ASAFF 2020 is Kokopi (Koperasi Komunitas Kopi Indonesia). Kokopi showed the products of the members, such as, the coffee seed, the tools, the food and drinks made of coffee.

It is a cooperation which becomes the place for those who are interest in coffee in Indonesia from the upstream to downstream sector which were made by 96 founders from 11 provinces in June 2017.

The cooperation has the will to support Indonesia to be the number one coffee producer in the world, both in the quantity and the quality. The end goal is to welfare the coffee farmers.

Kokopi regularly makes activity in coffee. As quoted from the page of kokopi, at least, about 15 nomenclatures of coffee business in Indonesia have been arranged, starting from the planting, the post-harvest process, design and equipment of coffee shops, merchandize, souvenirs from the regions, paintings, air freshener, and material to made cloth.

In the other chance, Chairman of Media Center of HKTI, Guntur Subagja said that we should be optimist by the raise of the millennial in agriculture. Though they are not many in numbers, it is the time for them to do business in agriculture, such as, Kokopi.

In the agriculture business, they thought to have promising prospect. President Joko Widodo targeted, Indonesia should be the food barn in the world in 2045.

The target would be easier to do if the millennial does the agriculture and agribusiness as the promising work. Our agriculture in good enough, the trade balance is positive within the big contribution from the agriculture.

Now the agriculture is not low class sector but it is the promising one. He who is the chairman of Intani is optimist that there would be regeneration of the farmers from the old to the young ones. They would do farming by using the technology, namely in internet – base.

The internet and gadget users in our country are the biggest too. If the numbers of the farmers and the millennial agribusiness increase, our agriculture would go fast because they could advantage the business chances which are combined by the latest technology. (A2)