SEAToday.com, Jakarta - The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) and the Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker) are joining forces to provide skilled mechanics for modern agriculture, aiming to boost productivity and achieve food self-sufficiency.

Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman, in a press conference after a closed meeting with Minister of Manpower Yassierli in Jakarta on Monday, stated that both ministries had signed an agreement.

"We have completed the signing, and we will collaborate moving forward. We are building modern agriculture, modern agricultural clusters to achieve food self-sufficiency and become a global food barn in the future," said the Minister of Agriculture Andi as quoted on Antara.

SEAToday.com, Jakarta - The Minister of Agriculture Andi outlined plans to develop 3 million hectares of rice fields and optimize them to improve agricultural productivity while supporting the establishment of modern agricultural clusters in Indonesia.

He emphasized the importance of collaboration with Kemnaker, which has between 300 and 500 instructors, to ensure the successful implementation of modern agricultural programs across Indonesia.

As part of this synergy, Kemnaker's instructors will be placed in five priority provinces: South Papua, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, and South Sumatra, to support agricultural development.

To date, over 27,000 millennial farmers have registered for the program, and Kementan has distributed 3,600 agricultural equipment units, targeting at least 7,000 nationwide. 

The program’s success relies on trained mechanics, which Kemnaker will provide to ensure effective operation of modern farming tools.

This collaboration is expected to create jobs, reduce unemployment, and drive economic growth in rural areas. Minister of Manpower Yassierli emphasized the initiative’s potential to address labor challenges and expand employment in modern agriculture.

Through this synergy, the program is expected not only to increase farmers' income but also to reduce poverty and drive grassroots economic growth, ultimately boosting Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

"This collaboration is a long-term solution for agriculture, creating jobs, increasing farmers' income, reducing unemployment, alleviating poverty, and raising GDP as the rural economy grows," the Minister of Agriculture Andi added as quoted on Antara.

Meanwhile, Minister of Manpower Yassierli expressed readiness to support the Ministry of Agriculture Andi in developing modern agricultural clusters to achieve food self-sufficiency.

"This is truly exciting; we see the potential for a significant increase in job absorption, which will help resolve labor issues in Indonesia," said Yassierli as quoted on Antara.

Writer: Andi Raisa Malaha Thambas