Indonesia’s Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman, stated that the government is promoting agricultural mechanization to boost rice production. According to him, mechanization improves labor efficiency, reduces costs, increases cropping indices, and optimizes harvest yields.
“This initiative is part of ongoing improvements in the agricultural sector and has received full support from the president,” said the minister in a national seminar themed “Digital Transformation and AI for Food Security: Enhancing Productivity and Sustainability,” held both online and onsite at the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, (FTP UGM) Auditorium on Wednesday (Sep 3).
Delivering his keynote address via Zoom, the minister emphasized that the government is currently focusing on accelerating regulatory reforms, infrastructure development, production facilities, and land optimization.
He claimed that the results of this acceleration are reflected in a recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which ranked Indonesia second in the world for the percentage increase in rice production.
“We are just below Brazil, which ranked first,” he noted.
On land optimization, the minister explained that the government has successfully rehabilitated part of the 10 million hectares of peatlands designated for agriculture. To date, approximately one million hectares have been restored, resulting in a significant boost to rice yields.
Previously, average harvests reached only three tons per hectare, but yields have now risen to five to seven tons per hectare. In addition, the government is working to increase rice planting cycles to three times per year from the previous single cycle.
“From 10 million hectares of peatland, one million have been improved, production has increased from three to five tons per hectare, and rice planting is being pushed to three times annually,” he said.
To support the mechanization program, the minister invited the Indonesian Society of Agricultural Engineering (Perteta) to take part in advancing digital transformation and AI for agricultural productivity. He also encouraged researchers and agricultural experts to innovate and develop new farming technologies.
“Perteta must take an active role in organizing new findings from universities focused on agricultural technology and submit them to the government for follow-up action,” he emphasized.
Dean of FTP UGM, Professor Eni Harmayani, remarked that in today’s modern era, the government must encourage precision agriculture, smart farming, and the use of digital technology and AI to enhance production amid the threats of food scarcity, population growth, land conversion, and the impacts of climate change.
“Through digital transformation that integrates sensor technology, big data, the Internet of Things, and AI, we can address the challenges of productivity while adapting to climate change,” she said.
Professor Harmayani added that since its establishment, FTP UGM has been committed to education, research, and community service aimed at improving welfare, ensuring food sovereignty, promoting environmental sustainability, and supporting society.
The national seminar was part of a series of events marking the 62nd Anniversary of FTP UGM, organized in collaboration with Perteta and the Agricultural Engineering Division of the Institution of Engineers Indonesia (BKTP PII). The seminar drew 200 participants onsite at the auditorium and 90 participants online via Zoom.
Alongside the seminar sessions, the event also featured a Research Product Expo showcasing various innovations and the latest research findings from the FTP UGM academic community, as well as posters from the top 10 finalists of the 2025 National Agricultural Machinery Innovation Competition. Participants had the opportunity to directly observe developments in modern agricultural technology and engage with researchers.
Author: Aldi Firmansyah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Salma
Photographs: Antara and Donnie Trisfian