Indonesia’s government has unveiled a major plantation and horticulture development initiative expected to generate 1.6 million jobs within the next two years. This was announced by Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman, as reported by VNA, a partner of TV BRICS.
Speaking at a press conference in Jakarta, the minister said the programme will be implemented through the optimisation of approximately US$600 million. The funds will primarily support farmers through the distribution of free seeds and seedlings for key commodities such as cocoa, coffee, coconut, cashew, and nutmeg, covering a total cultivation area of 800,000 hectares.
Sulaiman underlined that the initiative forms part of the government’s broader agenda to strengthen agricultural downstreaming – a strategic effort to increase product value, expand employment opportunities, and promote inclusive economic growth across rural regions.
Highlighting coconut as one of the most promising commodities, the minister noted that processing it into high-value products such as virgin coconut oil can increase its market value by up to 100 times.
He added that similar downstreaming measures are being prepared for gambier (Uncaria gambir), with Indonesia currently accounting for around 80 per cent of global supply. The same approach will apply to palm oil, which is being developed into a range of processed products, including biofuel, cooking oil, and margarine.