Serdang, Malaysia In an effort to strengthen cooperation and collaboration in the agricultural sector, Malaysia and Indonesia have taken a significant step by initiating the AgroMadani Nusantara Community Network at MAHA 2024. The workshop, attended by dozens of agropreneurs from both countries as well as neighboring countries like Thailand and Singapore, showcased a unified spirit to advance the agro-business sector in the regional area.

Zulkafi Daud, the Program Secretariat Head, stated that this initiative is a response to the increasingly complex global challenges in the agricultural sector. "By uniting our strengths, we can face challenges together and seize opportunities to enhance the productivity and competitiveness of our agricultural products in the global market," he said.

Main Focus of the Network

One of the main focuses of this network is to strengthen cooperation in food production. Workshop participants discussed various cooperation opportunities, including the development of climate-resilient crop varieties, the implementation of modern agricultural technologies such as precision farming, and the improvement of post-harvest quality.

In addition, the network will also facilitate cooperation in agricultural product marketing. By combining the market strengths of each country, it is hoped that agricultural products from the Nusantara region can more easily penetrate the global market.

"Through this network, we can share knowledge, experience, and resources to improve the welfare of farmers and rural communities," added Dr. Abdul Malik, Senior Agricultural Researcher.

Strategic Partnership for the Future

Kemitraan antara Malaysia dan Indonesia dalam sektor pertanian bukanlah hal baru. Namun, inisiasi jaringan komunitas AgroMadani Nusantara ini diharapkan dapat membawa hubungan bilateral kedua negara ke tingkat yang lebih tinggi. “Kerja sama ini tidak hanya akan menguntungkan kedua negara, tetapi juga akan memberikan kontribusi positif bagi kawasan Asia Tenggara secara keseluruhan,” ujar Eko Suryono (Presidium PPM Indonesia]

Next Steps

Following the workshop, participants will form working teams to develop a more concrete action plan. This action plan will include various activities such as:

• Knowledge and Technology Exchange Through study visits, training, and conferences.
• Joint Product Development By combining research and development strengths from each country.
• Formation of a Joint Market To enhance the competitiveness of agricultural products in the global market.

With a spirit of unity and collaboration, the AgroMadani Nusantara Community Network is expected to become a driving force in advancing the agricultural sector in the region.

A participant from the PPM Indonesia delegation also highlighted how Indonesia, given its vast size, has allocated 20 percent for food security, including plant, animal, agricultural, and agro-industrial food security in each village.