Taiwan Technical Mission in Indonesia strengthens bilateral ties through agricultural cooperation.
As a rice farmer living about 50 kilometers east of Jakarta, Bambang Juanda had little reason to be familiar with Taiwan. That changed two years ago, when the young man learned of the chance to improve his livelihood with assistance from Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Indonesia. He soon began receiving advice on crop rotation, as well as equipment and seedlings, from the Taiwan mission. “TTM experts guided me throughout the whole process,” he said. “They were always there whenever I needed help.”
Juanda is one of the many satisfied Indonesian farmers who have partnered with the mission sent by Taipei City-headquartered International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), Taiwan’s foremost foreign aid organization. In 1976 it established a presence in the Southeast Asian country, starting in the eastern part of Java before gradually expanding westward on the densely populated island.
“In earlier years TTM focused on helping locals improve their cultivation techniques. The encouraging results helped win their trust, which was favorable to the mission’s development as it continued to explore ways to help,” said the mission’s head, Dennis Kao (高祥泰). In the 1990s TTM began encouraging farmers to cooperate for mutual benefit. “Previously individual farmers kept to themselves,” he said. “But we inspired them to work as a group like farmers in Taiwan.” They subsequently started purchasing fertilizer in bulk for multiple farms and jointly developing marketing strategies, Kao added.
Chiu explains vegetable growing techniques to the regent of Karawang, Cellica Nurrachadiana. (Courtesy of Lin Taiwan Technical Mission In Indonesia)
Branching Out
TTM’s successes have won growing recognition from the Indonesian government at both the central and local levels. For its first 30 years in the country, the mission primarily worked with provincial governments, but since 2007 it has also cooperated with Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture and other central government agencies. “What impresses me most is that they actively encourage input from our growers,” said Ade Candradijaya, director of the ministry’s Bureau of International Cooperation. “They’re humble, always ready to listen as they guide farmers step by step.” According to Kao, each TTM project is implemented with at least one Taiwan technician on site to give timely guidance.
TTM has also been pivotal in raising farmers’ awareness of supply and demand to discourage overproduction of a single crop. One project running from January 2020 through the end of 2022 targeted Karawang Regency in western Java, an area dominated by rice paddies. To encourage farms to introduce more crop diversity, the mission created a demonstration plot to show farmers how to grow a wide range of vegetables. A local assistant in every village participating in the project spread the word among residents and connected interested parties with TTM.
Farmers harvest bitter melons in Karawang. (Courtesy of Lin Taiwan Technical Mission In Indonesia)
As the project began to show results, more locals joined. Last year 52 farmers harvested 282 tons of vegetables, which were sold through newly established channels that yield higher profit than traditional wet markets. Supermarkets, including high-end locations in the capital, became a major part of the distribution network, and for the first time locally grown asparagus was exported to Singapore. The average income of the farmers consequently grew 23 percent, according to Kao.
Sowing Friendship
Another TTM initiative running through the end of this year in South Sulawesi province is also seeing promising results. The mission has teamed up with the local Hasanuddin University to select the best rice varieties for the province’s seed producers. Agriculture experts from the school have also helped TTM set up smart weather stations and implement pest control drones to tackle labor shortages.
A rice farmer plants seedlings in South Sulawesi. (Courtesy of Lin Taiwan Technical Mission In Indonesia)
The project has not only improved productivity but also increased growers’ incomes. Due to the enhanced quality, their seeds sell for 20 percent more than before they began working with the mission. Last year TTM-guided farmers produced 4,200 tons of rice seeds, accounting for nearly 30 percent of all government-certified seeds in the province. The mission intends to expand its presence on Sulawesi, estimating that nearly 300 growers will join the project in total, up from 250 at the end of last year.
Among TTM’s latest initiatives is one that kicked off earlier this year to boost garlic and shallot cultivation and marketing in Sumatra’s North Sumatra province and a follow-up produce marketing project in Karawang set to commence later this year. Such schemes play a critical role in upgrading the agricultural sector in targeted areas and improving the well-being of farmers. “Equally important, they facilitate personnel exchanges,” said Candradijaya, who has visited Taiwan five times since 2015 to learn about the country’s farming practices. “That strengthens the bond between Taiwan and Indonesia through interpersonal ties.”
Write to Oscar Chung at mhchung@mofa.gov.tw