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TaiwanICDF assists Indonesia with high-quality rice seed production and publishes results with Hasanuddin University
Published Thu Aug. 31, 2023
On August 28, the International Cooperation Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) and Indonesia’s Hasanuddin University (Unhas) held a results presentation conference in Jakarta to discuss their progress on a joint development venture in sustainable agriculture. The Expanding High-Quality Rice Seed Production in South Sulawesi project improves Indonesia’s rice production by counseling farmers, providing new technology, and supporting domestic seed production. John C. Chen, Ambassador of the Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Indonesia, Dr. Syahrul Yasin Limpo, Minister of Agriculture of Indonesia, Dr. Ir. Nizam, Director General of the Higher Education Department of Indonesia (on behalf of the Minister of Education), and Dr. Since Erna Lamba, Secretary General of South Sulawesi Province attended the event and witnessed the achievements of Taiwan’s development aid in the country.
South Sulawesi is an important rice-producing area in Indonesia. However, the region has experienced challanges for maintaining crop production in recent years due to climate change. Therefore, Taiwan and Indonesia joined hands to develop a high-quality rice seeds production method to increase the area’s self-produced seed supply from 1% to over 10% of farmer demand. This not only helps local seed producers financially but also reduces the demand for long-distance agricultural shipments from other islands. The project also promoted smart agrotechnologies and provided technical conseling services to farmers, ensuring that they can optimize crop production capacity.
At the same time, the TaiwanICDF established three microweather stations to help offset the effects of climate change. These facilities gather weather information and provide real-time cultivation guidance to farmers.
Experts from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Japan, Bangladesh, Taiwan, and Indonesia also participated in the project by sharing strategies for resilient agriculture. They discussed methods for using smart agriculture to reduce losses from extreme weather and also recommended farmers use rice varieties that mature early and feature lodging resistance. The experts cooperated with the Indonesian Grain Research Center to promote labor-saving cultivation strategies, including UAV use for field monitoring and cultivation.
The results conference represents an important milestone in Taiwan and Indonesia’s joint efforts to promote agricultural innovation and climate resilience.
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- Update: 2023/09/14
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