Surge in the Number of Millennial Farmers in East Java, Government Deserves to Provide Facilities.

The government should now provide facilities for millennials interested in agriculture, especially in villages.

"Millennial farmers data is one of regeneration level indicator in agricultural sector in East Java. At once, it demonstrates digital technology utilization, which is expected to create productive and sustainable modern agriculture," said Daniel Rohi, Commission B member of the East Java DPRD, on Thursday (January 4th, 2024).

According to this Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle politician, during his visit to Malang Raya, specifically in Sumber Berantas, Batu City, he encountered millennials who were eager to engage in agriculture. "Agricultural sector is necessary to regenerate farmers. Millennial farmers in East Java must be fully supported by providing facilities to develop themselves in the agricultural sector," Rohi said.

Rohi further explained that the number of millennial farmers also contributes to East Java's position as the national food barn to assist 16 provinces in the eastern Indonesia. For 4 years in a row, from 2020 to 2023, East Java became the highest producer of rice among all provinces in Indonesia.

The increasing number of millennial farmers aligns with the Minister of Agriculture Regulation Number 4 of 2019 on Guidelines for the Human Development Movement in Agriculture Towards World Food Granary 2045. Millennial farmers are farmers aged 19 to 39 and/or those who are adaptive to digital technology.

"Beside young age, millennial farmers are closely associated with digital technology utilization in agricultural sector. Digital technology includes the use of modern agricultural tools and machinery, internet usage, smartphone usage, information technology utilization, drone utilization, and/or the use of artificial intelligence,” he clarified.

Based on the 2023 Agricultural Census results by the Statistics Indonesia, millennial farmers in East Java are the largest and ranked first nationally. The number reaches 971.102 people or 15.71 percent of the total 6.183.009 farmers in Indonesia.

This figure surpasses other provinces such as Central Java 625.807 farmers, West Java 543.044 farmers, North Sumatra 361.814 farmers, South Sumatra 340.436 farmers, Lampung 337.487 farmers, South Sulawesi 272.817 farmers, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) 225.483 farmers, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) 225.185 farmers, and Aceh 222.879 farmers.