Indonesian farmer receives Asia Pacific Model Farmers Awards
Ulus Primawan, a farmer from West Java province received “Asia-Pacific Model Farmers Awards” from Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, together with four other farmers from Afghanistan, Japan, Nepal and Thailand, at the FAO-Asia Pasific World Food Day commemoration in Bangkok Thailand, on Monday (16/10). Primawan (43) is recognized for his success in innovative vegetable production systems.
Primawan, with only a primary school education, is a shining example of how innovation, passion and determination can reap great rewards – even for a smallholder farmer. Pirmawan’s success is a combination of collaboration, rich volcanic soil and a desire to share his knowledge with others. Fertile volcanic soil in West Java contributes to a huge volume of high-quality agricultural products.
In fact, three hectares of plantation can produce as many as 1.5 tonnes of baby bean. As head of the local farmer’s group and its 20 members, Pirmawan works to ensure their product reaches the market at the right time, in the right quantities and at fair market value.
Break the brokers chain
Before the farmer’s group was formed, Pirmawan and his neighbours had no choice but to sell their produce to middle-men or brokers who then sold to others. The supply chain was long and prices paid to farmers were very low. To address this, the government, through the Ministry of Agriculture encouraged the creation of farmer’s groups and Mr Pirmawan and his neighbours took advantage of it. , after taking on the functions of the middle-men, Mr Pirmawan’s group of 20 are each earning up to US$ 1,150 per month – a four-fold increase from the old days.
But to Pirmawan, becoming a model farmer is more than just increasing one’s income, it’s also about sharing one’s knowledge with others. He has a passion for learning and teaching. In 2014, he was part of a JICA agricultural exchange programme and gained marketing skills.
That same year, and again in 2015, Mr Pirmawan received an Indonesian government export award for the high quality of his baby beans. Today he employs 15 people and has shared his knowledge with hundreds more including farmers from neighbouring Timor-Leste. When asked if he ever gets tired, he replies “Yes. But I will work and train others for just as long as I can. I am proud of this.”
FAO’s annual Asia-Pacific World Food Day event honoured five model farmers from across the region. The five – four women and one man – came from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal and Thailand. Each received a certificate of accomplishment from Her Royal Highness, on behalf of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
The future of migration and rural development is highlighted
With more people on the move than in any other part of the world, the impact migration has on food security and rural livelihoods in the Asia-Pacific region is being closely examined during this year’s World Food Day.
Of the world’s 815 million hungry people, more than 60 percent, or some 490 million of them, live in this region. Escaping poverty, or just seeking greater livelihood options, millions are migrating within their own countries (for example to urban areas), or across borders.
Migration can take many forms – seasonal, temporary or even permanent – and it can be a positive move for many. But for others it is too often undertaken in desperation, due to conflict, natural disasters and climate change. People migrating in these circumstances are more vulnerable to increased food insecurity and worsening poverty.
In Asia and the Pacific, a regional World Food Day event illustrated this year’s theme “Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development.”
The event’s Guest of Honour, UN FAO Special Ambassador for Zero Hunger in Asia and the Pacific, Her Royal Highness, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, called for the region to recognize both the risks and opportunities associated with migration.
“This year’s World Food Day theme calls upon us to harness the potential of migration to support development and strengthen receiving and sending rural communities’ resilience. This will not happen automatically but as a result of concerted efforts and measures that maximize the positive outcomes of migration while minimizing the negative ones.”
“As FAO Special Ambassador for Zero Hunger, I strongly support FAO in its efforts toward helping governments and partners to invest in rural development and achieve sustainable agriculture systems,” Her Royal Highness added.
FAO calls for a wide-ranging response in Asia and the Pacific
“On this World Food Day, FAO joins with governments, civil society organizations, and millions of others to work together to make migration a choice and not a move of desperation or a relocation of last resort,” said Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific.
“Working together to resolve conflicts, investing in rural development, enhancing social protection, adapting to and mitigating the effects of natural disasters and climate change – all of these things can help us respond to the negative effects of ill-prepared migration, while building a more food-secure and resilient Asia-Pacific for us all.”