Long-term investment key to effective technology transfer: Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture

Continuing innovation in agricultural technology and its transfer to farmers is essential to ensure that food production continues to increase sustainably, Mr. Hari Priyono, Secretary General of the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture said while inaugurating the CAPSA Policy Dialogue on the Role of Technology Transfer in Agriculture for Sustainable Development Outcomes that began today in Bogor, Indonesia. 

Thus, Indonesia’s approximately 12 million hectares of wetland and 24 million hectares of dry land can produce enough food for the country’s population if farmers have access to improved agricultural technologies that they can use on their farms.

The top official of Indonesia’s Agriculture Ministry added that long-term investment and comprehensive approaches are required to make technology transfer effective, from the stage of technology development to extension. The extension agents should be involved in the process, starting from the identification of technology development needs to the research and dissemination of new agricultural know-how, he said.

Mr. Priyono noted that technology transfer can be vertical or horizontal. The former refers to transfer of technology from basic to applied research, then to development and production. Horizontal technology transfer refers to the movement of technology from one place, organization or context to another.

Reporter: Fetty Prihastini, Public Information Assistant, CAPSA