Indonesia commits to fivefold salary increase for Gen Z farmers

By VNA   October 24, 2024 | 04:48 pm PT
Indonesia commits to fivefold salary increase for Gen Z farmers
A farmer walks in the middle of a rice crop in Gowa District, in Indonesia's South Sulawesi Province. Photo by Reuters
Indonesia is encouraging Gen Y and Gen Z to join the agricultural sector by promising modern technology and offering a salary of 10 million IDR (US$640), five times higher the current average farmer's wage.

According to Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman, one of the key goals of President Prabowo Subianto's administration is to achieve food self-sufficiency. One of the strategies set by the Ministry of Agriculture is to attract younger generations - Gen Y and Gen Z - to participate in agriculture.

Andi shared that the initiative includes forming a youth brigade, composed of 15 teams of Gen Y and Z members, to manage 200 hectares of farmland, focusing on developing new agricultural areas. Each farmer will earn at least 10–20 million IDR per month.

He emphasized that the country need to create a system that Gen Y and Z into agriculture.

According to Central Statistics Agency data from February, the average wage for agricultural workers in Indonesia - home to nearly 300 million people - is around 2.1 million IDR per month, significantly lower than the national average of 3.04 million IDR per worker. The agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors employ approximately 40.72 million workers, accounting for 28.6% of Indonesia’s labor force.

President Prabowo Subianto aims to achieve food self-sufficiency within four years of taking office, reducing the country's dependence on food imports.

 
 
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