National agriculture research-extension system linkages in Indonesia

Outlining the challenges facing agricultural research-extension system linkages in Indonesia, Dr. Agung Hendriadi, Director, Indonesian Center for Agricultural Technology Assessment and Development (ICATAD), Ministry of Agriculture, said Indonesian farmers need technology and innovation to respond to changing food consumption patterns with consumers demanding quality food. “While the Human Development Index (HDI) has been increasing, challenges in agriculture sector are also increasing because the food consumption pattern is changing and consumers are also demanding quality foods” 

Indonesia faces a decline in the agricultural labour force with the share of population working in agriculture falling from 64.16 per cent in 1970 to 33.32 per cent in 2011. The average age of farmers is now over 50 years.

A crucial research-extension issue in Indonesia is the capacity of extension workers. The research-extension workforce of about 54,000 comprises 3,000 researchers with 21,000 skilled and 30,000 unskilled extensionists. The limited linkage research-extension programme at national and regional levels results in poor dissemination and technology transfer.

To meet agricultural development targets in promoting sustainable self-sufficiency and improving farmers’ welfare, ICATAD has developed two research-extension orientations including science-based activities as upstream research and impact-based activities as down-stream research. Extension services range from the national to the village level. 

The research-extension system in Indonesia covers three activities: research activities with technology components, assessment activities involving identification of specific technologies and design of development models, and extension activities applying agribusiness practices.

Dr. Hendriadi listed several research-extension programmes in Indonesia including the Integrated Crop Management (PTT) programme in which adoption is accelerated through the Field School and the Sustainable Household Food Security Program involving use of home yards by women to cultivate vegetable and fruits and for raising poultry.