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| Indonesian Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Sudaryono (right), with Japanese Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Ypichi Watanabe, in a meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday (October 15, 2024). --Dok. ANTARA |
PEWARTA.CO.ID - The Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia has extended an invitation to Japan to invest in and strengthen cooperation in the country’s agricultural sector. This includes areas such as trade, agricultural training, and the implementation of modern agricultural technology.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono highlighted the longstanding positive relationship between Japan and Indonesia, expressing the ministry’s desire to enhance the partnership, particularly in agriculture.
"Japan and Indonesia have established a good relationship. We want to expand our cooperation in the agricultural sector, whether it is export-import, transfer of technology, or training," Sudaryono said in a statement released by his office on Friday.
On October 15, during a meeting with Japan’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Yoichi Watanabe, Sudaryono underscored Indonesia’s agricultural potential. As a tropical country, Indonesia has a competitive advantage in producing a wide variety of agricultural commodities.
He hopes this will encourage Japan to support technology transfer initiatives aimed at improving the quality of Indonesian horticultural products to meet global standards.
Furthermore, Sudaryono emphasized that food security is one of the key focuses of President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s administration. According to Sudaryono, to achieve food security, it is essential to adopt modern agricultural methods, which include mechanization, human resource development, and the integration of advanced agricultural technologies.
One of the flagship initiatives of the food security program is the expansion of rice fields by opening up three million hectares of land. Sudaryono clarified that this would not involve deforestation but would make use of existing land.
"To open more rice fields, we will utilize existing land, including swamp land, with the right irrigation system," he explained.
In line with these efforts, Sudaryono expressed optimism that Indonesian farmers would be able to benefit from agricultural training programs in Japan, enabling them to adopt cutting-edge agricultural technologies.
"We want Japan to participate in this rice field creation project," he emphasized.
He also highlighted another program proposed by Prabowo that focuses on improving the nutrition of 83 million students by providing them with milk and meat.
This initiative also presents opportunities for private sector involvement, particularly in importing live cattle. Sudaryono revealed that 46 companies, both domestic and foreign, are committed to importing 1.3 million cattle into Indonesia.
"The government will provide support in terms of licensing and prepare one million hectares of land for the cattle. We also hope Japan can be involved in this program," Sudaryono added.
During his working visit to Japan, Sudaryono also took part in a dialogue organized by the Indonesian Student Association (PPI) in Tokyo. He engaged in discussions about agricultural policies and initiatives and explored potential international cooperation, with the Bank Indonesia (BI) representative in Japan also participating in the talks.
