Indonesia Launch National Strategy for Agriculture Digitalization
Indonesia is the fourth most populated country in the world and a major producer of agricultural products. With 45% of the population living in rural areas, more than 90% who work in agriculture are smallholder farmers. Agriculture farms take up 32% of the total land area of the country, and the average productions accounts are 14% of the GDP.
yet agricultural production faces several major challenges. The cost for agricultural production is quite high, while agriculture remains a highly labour-intensive sector. Smallholder farmers always work the hardest but acquire the least benefit in the food systems activities.
To face the challenges and take advantage of emerging digital opportunities, FAO in close collaboration with Center of Agricultural Data and System Information (CADIS) of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) for the first time launch the agriculture digitalization strategy called “e-Agriculture National Strategy” that is able to harness the data and information resources in agriculture to the benefit of small holders.
“It is very important to note that the MoA cooperation with FAO have accelerated agricultural development in the country. I appreciate the e-agriculture national strategy that can provide instrument facilitation that is urgently needed by the MoA to accelerate our agriculture development in the upstream, on farm, post harvest, for the farmers to strengthen their position agricultural industry, “ said Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture Kasdi Soebagyono in his remarks at the launching events of the e Agriculture National Strategy today (28/2) in Yogyakarta.
Data of land areas under cultivation, productivity, marketing channels, commodity prices diversification of consumption, and food safety are some examples of data parameter in Agriculture production that are needed by the policy makers. Early Warning System (EWS) data that can reduce the impact of specific disaster also urgently needed.
Among others , e -Agriculture National Strategy roadmap mentioned that in 2027 Indonesia will have an integrated database for farmland and farmer, provide a digital early warning system for disasters that threaten agriculture production and run systems for agriculture data collection, extraction, and analysis.
“Food Systems transformation in Indonesia must start with digitalizing Agriculture. Digitalization offers reliable data as parameter for the decision maker to create a well targeted policy. We need to compile realtime data for a more transparent information to ease the farmers to penetrate the market " said Rajendra Aryal FAO Representative in Indonesia and Timor Leste.
Agriculture Digitalization also a way to attract young people to involve in the agriculture business, “Digitalization is the future, and the future is now to empower women, men, and youth in agriculture" Rajendra said.
Agriculture Digital Collection Platform
One of the core e-solution to create a reliable database for decision is Data Collection Platform (DCP) that can collect any agriculture data from various inputs key informant persons, sensors, and other systems.
“Once the farmers’ data is available, the implementation of other e-solutions is relatively easy to follow and integrate. E-solution implementation for each area will be selective based on the area’s needs, infrastructure availability, culture/local wisdom, and gradual, “ Rajendra added.
Working together with Faculty of Agriculture Gajah Mada University, MoA and FAO created a web and mobile-based Digital Collection Platform (DCP) that is able to record data in real time. The data that has been gathered by the DCP in the field connects real-time with the MoA’s Agriculture War Room in Jakarta. Agriculture Extension workers in Cibluk Sleman Yogyakarta and coffee farmers in Pupuan Bali has been part of the pilot project for the DCP.
The ministry has been expanded the pilot to Subang West Java this year.
A new cooperation with The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) to develop database to calculate the total area of farmland and the yield is underway. The collaboration will integrate the satellite data of BRIN with the ground data in the DCP.