Indonesia’s Home Affairs Minister, Tito Karnavian, emphasized that industrializing agriculture and farming is essential to boosting the country’s competitiveness and escaping the middle-income trap. Speaking at a coordination meeting on the downstreaming of priority farm commodities, he argued that the solution lies not only in manufacturing but in transforming agricultural products into high-value goods. Drawing on examples like New Zealand and South Korea, he highlighted how nations without major manufacturing sectors have thrived by leveraging agricultural innovation—such as New Zealand’s livestock abundance and South Korea’s export of premium ginseng products. Karnavian stressed that Indonesia’s rich biodiversity and variety of farm products present a vast opportunity for downstreaming, which can be unlocked through professional marketing and packaging. He noted that agricultural industrialization would enhance food resilience, generate employment, boost exports, and foster inclusive growth. Aligning with President Prabowo Subianto’s national priority on food self-sufficiency—supported by IDR371 trillion in funding—he urged regional leaders to move beyond raw commodity production and actively support food processing industries to elevate Indonesia’s position in the global market.Source: https://en.antaranews.com/news/381560/indonesia-pushes-agricultural-industrialization-to-tackle-income-trap  (ICE GIACARTA)

Fonte notizia: ANTARA NEWS, 22 September 2025