Indonesian Agriculture is the use of land to grow crops or maintain farm animals. It’s a huge field of work that also involves fisheries, bee keeping, rubber plantations and many more. In Indonesia, agriculture is a huge sector that affects the lives of millions of people. Industries outside the country are also relying on a lot of agricultural products from Indonesia.
To know more about why agriculture is crucial in Indonesia then read these 17 Importance of Indonesian Agriculture. The food you consume and the household items that you use might come from the agriculture in Indonesia.
1. Produces Export Products
Through agriculture, Indonesia is able to export many products to other countries. Some of the most highly exported produce from Indonesia include rubbers, palm oil, cacao beans and coffee beans. Since other countries may not be able to fully produce them, they choose Indonesia as a source of supply. It greatly increases the income for the agriculture field in the country.
2. Improves Indonesia’s Economy
Indonesia’s economy heavily depends on agriculture. Without it, the country will experience a huge loss. Many international industries are investing in Indonesia. Most of them are in the agriculture field. That is why there is a continuous effort to bring up innovations in the agriculture business.
3. Fulfils International Demand
International industries may demand for raw material that they can use from Indonesia. Most of the exported products that come from Indonesia include cacao beans, coffee, spices, rubber and many more. Without the agriculture in Indonesia, all those supplies would be decreased for those international industries.
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4. Eliminates Food Security Concerns
Without agriculture, Indonesia will face a huge problem in terms of food security. With many available lands for farming or plantation, Indonesia can produce a secure amount of food for its people. The country is always in search of innovative ways to improve the way they gain their products. So overtime, people can harvest higher amount of high quality products.
5. Provides Nutritions to People
Through agriculture, Indonesians can have the nutrition that they require. Natural sources of carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins are what the people need. Agriculture can help the country’s problem in solving malnutrition. In Indonesia, there are still severe cases of malnutrition due to a lot of reasons. One of them is the lack of food. So, agriculture can create healthier citizens.
6. Serves Raw Materials to Industries
Agriculture is needed to serve raw materials to factories and all sorts of industries. For example, biofuel is needed for industries to carry out their production. Another example would be the most common one which is palm oil. Palm oil is a raw material that industries can turn into a lot of different things. It is needed in making snacks, soaps, household items and even cosmetics.
7. Increases Employment Rates
With the agriculture field in Indonesia, many industries can employ the people in the country. It can greatly increase the employment rates and decrease the amount of people without jobs. There are a variety of industries or agricultural field that people can sign up for to receive a job. It all depends on the area they live in and the skill that they have.
8. Provides Livelihood to People
Agriculture is important in Indonesia because it can provide livelihood to people. In Indonesia, many people who live in the village still rely on agriculture to supply their own food. What they farm or harvest is what they will consume. Moreover, as agricultural industries provide more employment, people can also earn money. As a result, they are able to afford all the things that they need to live in the country.
9. Reducing Poverty
The rate of poverty in Indonesia is still quite high. But with agriculture, more labours are needed to fulfil demands. When the agriculture field can improve, then there will be more workers that they can take in. People will have a chance to get themselves out of poverty. They will also gain a lot of experience and skill that they can use so they won’t become poor or homeless again.
Read more about Poverty in Indonesia and Types of Poverty in Indonesia
10. Improving the Quality of Produce
The cease of agriculture will put a lot of risk in the country’s ability to improve. As agriculture exists, people are constantly on the move to make better and higher quality in their produce. With that, they can compete along other business or countries in terms of exporting the produce. Modifications are always done to create something that the consumers want.
11. Feed the Increasing Population
Currently, there are around 261 million people living in Indonesia. That is not a small amount of people to feed and accommodate. Each year, the population continues to increase. It also means that food demand will also rise. Food, such as rice, is the most important because people cannot live without it. Activities will be stalled, growth will be slow and people could die.
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12. Passing Down Important Skills
Not everyone has the right skill to jump into the agricultural field. Those with the natural ability may have more luck. But there are some things that you just have to learn from experience. There are also many things that machines can’t get quite as right as humans. Through agriculture, important skills can be passed down to the next generations.
13. Making Medicines
Agriculture in Indonesia can aid people to heal from their illnesses. There are plants that can be used to make medicines such as antibiotics in Indonesia. Many Indonesians also still use medicinal plants for a more traditional way of healing. Those plants are planted in the form of a modern agriculture.
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14. Making Clothes
Cotton farm is also a part of the agriculture field in Indonesia. Cottons are very important in the garment industry. They are often exported or used in the local industries to provide people with all sorts of clothing. Often times, local production will enable Indonesians to purchase cheaper form of clothing.
15. Bring in Income to Related Industries
Agriculture can also be a source of income for the related industries. Industries that are focused on producing fertilisers, pesticides or even tractors can be useful for the agricultural field. Crop farming and animal farming would definitely need those things so that they can have great results for their produce. Thus, those industries can gain more money as the agricultural field needs them.
16. Cultivating Plantations
Cultivating plantations is important to put land into good use. Why would Indonesia want to waste their potential? In Bandung, there are plenty of tea plantations. The area has a suitable land and temperature for tea to grow properly there. The tea leaves are turned into consumable tea. As for the plantation, it can also be used to attract people to come to the place. Tourists and locals are always interested to come into the tea plantation. That will also bring a good income to the area.
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17. Maintain Production of the World’s Delicacy
Apparently, chocolate is a world’s delicacy that many people all over the world still enjoy. In Indonesia, there are a still many cacao beans plantation that are produced in huge amount. They are often exported or sent to the local chocolate productions. They are going to be even more important as there is reportedly a bigger production of chocolate than the harvest of the cacao beans.
Agriculture won’t ever die out in Indonesia. Too many people all over the world rely on it. Indonesia is always willing to work on innovations too which might bring great changes in the future.
