JAKARTA – In order to increase national agricultural productivity, PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero) collaborates with the Agricultural Human Resources Extension and Development Agency (BPPSDMP) of the Ministry of Agriculture on the Synergy of the Human Resources Strengthening Program and the Prosperous Program Escort.

This collaboration is contained in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Marketing Director of Pupuk Indonesia, Gusrizal with the Head of BPPSDMP of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dedi Nursyamsi, which was witnessed by the Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Syahrul Yasin Limpo at the Agricultural Development Polytechnic (Polbangtan), Bogor, Friday (17/2).

Marketing Director of Pupuk Indonesia, Gusrizal said that the collaboration between Pupuk Indonesia and BPPSDMP of the Ministry of Agriculture aims to strengthen human resources (HR) and escort the Makmur Program.

"Today's collaboration is in line with the program that has been run by Pupuk Indonesia Group. Pupuk Indonesia through our subsidiary, PT Petrokimia Gresik, has launched the Sekolah Makmur program. This program is the Company's effort to improve the quality of human resources in agriculture, as well as a commitment to improving services for farmers in various regions," said Gusrizal.

Gusrizal said that increasing agricultural productivity and farmer welfare is currently the focus of the Ministry of SOEs in accordance with the direction of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Therefore, he welcomed the implementation of the MoU on Synergy of the Human Resources Strengthening Program and the Supervision of the Makmur Program with the BPPSDMP of the Ministry of Agriculture.

The scope of this collaboration is to increase the competence of students from BPPSDMP who will carry out an internship program at Pupuk Indonesia Group. Then, students will also gain skills regarding the cultivation control of the Makmur Program or other programs that include farmer data collection, land preparation, land processing, planting, harvesting, and post-harvest.

The next scope is the development of Pupuk Indonesia Group's human resources competencies in agriculture through trainings and other activities organized by the Ministry of Agriculture. As well as other activities that can be developed synergistically that are beneficial for both parties. 

On the same occasion, Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo said that improving the competence of human resources, especially agricultural extension workers, is very important, considering that extension workers have an important role in advancing agriculture in Indonesia. According to the man who is familiarly called SYL, extension workers are the guiding figures of farmers in increasing productivity.

"The existence of an extension worker is very important, because he is a knowledge transfer, an intellectual agenda, he sets the schedule of the agricultural agenda, in the extension there is such a thing as agricultural science. Agricultural science is very important, especially for Indonesia, which is a big country, an agricultural country where our farmers number tens of millions of people. Therefore, agricultural development polytechnics are a necessity of the country," said Minister of Agriculture SYL.