Sidoarjo, Jawa Timur (ANTARA) - Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has called for increased Indonesian corn production by using high-yield seed varieties, including the MTE-09 hybrid corn seed developed by the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS).
Speaking at the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and ITS at the university's Buncitan Campus in Sidoarjo, East Java, on Wednesday, Amran said the ministry had purchased MTE-09 corn seeds, which will be distributed free of charge to farmers in the Surabaya area.
"We have purchased MTE-09 corn seeds developed by ITS for cultivation across 13,000 hectares of land, with a total value of Rp10 billion. We selected this variety because its productivity exceeds the national average," Amran said.
He said the MTE-09 variety is capable of producing around 10 metric tons of shelled corn per hectare. According to 2024 data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), this exceeds the national average yield of 5.94 metric tons per hectare.
He added that the seeds will be planted in the Surabaya area so that ITS researchers can oversee the cultivation process from planting to harvest and help achieve the targeted average yield of 10 metric tons per hectare.
The ministry, Amran said, had also ordered amphibious electric tractors and coconut tree-climbing devices developed by ITS as part of the government's policy to prioritize domestically developed products created by Indonesian universities.
The adoption of technology is key to increasing agricultural productivity without expanding farmland, while also supporting the development of strategic commodities such as corn, rice, and coconuts.
He added that collaboration among the government, industry, and universities should be strengthened through the triple helix approach to ensure research and innovation can be developed into products that benefit the wider public.
The minister also said the government has allocated funding to procure a range of agricultural innovations developed by universities as part of its support for domestic research.
Additionally, the ITS Rector Prof Bambang Pramujati reaffirmed the university's commitment to supporting government programs through innovation, including agricultural mechanization and technologies aimed at increasing food production.
"We are committed to working with various stakeholders to support government programs, including through innovations in agricultural mechanization. If the trial results are satisfactory, we will collaborate with industry partners to produce these innovations on a mass scale," Bambang said.
Pewarta: Bayu Prasetyo
Editor : Vicki Febrianto
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