The Agricultural Economics Masters Study Program held a Capita Selecta Guest Lecture with the theme Development of Horticultural Agribusiness Partnership Models on March 27th 2023. Yuli Sri Wilanti, S.Pi., M.P., who currently serves as Assistant Deputy for Horticultural Agribusiness Development at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, was also present online and became a speaker in the guest lecture. Capita Selecta Guest Lecture moderated by Dr. Hani Perwitasari, S.P., M.Sc. (Lecturer of Capita Selecta Course).
Yuli Sri Wilanti, S.Pi., M.P. said that the Agricultural Sector still plays an important role in the Indonesian economy. The Horticulture Sub-Sector has the potential to be encouraged in order to improve the welfare of farmers, increase exports, and improve the regional economy and the national economy. In addition, villages in Indonesia also have great potential for development because as much as 82.77% of the village population works in the agricultural sector. However, there are economic problems in the village, such as low economic scale, weak market access, long distribution channels, low post-harvest facilities, and capital difficulties. In addition, horticultural farmers still have difficulties in adjusting production to market needs (mismatch between supply and demand), difficulty accessing capital, limited assistance, weak institutional roles, and inefficient supply chain problems.
One of the solutions to these problems is the development of the Closed Loop Program, which is an agribusiness partnership model from upstream to downstream by involving multi-stakeholders and developed in a digital-based ecosystem, good agricultural practice (GAP), a good distribution system, and enabling market assurance/ competitive prices by off-takers. This program is expected to be able to increase farmer productivity and income, provide assistance to farmers from the cultivation process to post-harvest, ensure market certainty, and maintain supply and price stability so that the inflation rate is maintained.
At the end of the event, Yuli Sri Wilanti, S.Pi., M.P. also expressed the hope that the younger generation would be more interested in getting involved in agriculture and becoming millennial farmers.
Further information about this program can be seen in the following Closed Loop smart book: http://bit.ly/BukuPintarCL