ASEAN launches e-Farmers project<\/p>\n
Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesian farmers will be able to sell agricultural products via
\nthe Internet thanks to an ambitious project launched by the
\nAssociation of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
ASEAN and its partner, a Singapore-based company called
\nAgritani International, have chosen Jambi province, a key
\nproducers of rubber and palm oil in South Sumatra, as their first
\npilot project for the ASEAN e-Farmers hub project.<\/p>\n
\"With more up-to-date and easily accessible information on the
\ne-hub, productivity and efficiency throughout the food supply
\nchain, from farmers to food processing plants, supermarket,
\nretailers and consumers can be immensely improved,\" ASEAN
\nsecretary general Rodolfo C. Severino said during the
\ninauguration ceremony in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The regional grouping said in a statement that the program in
\nJambi would involve one hundred cooperatives and the farmers
\nwould be trained to use the technological system.<\/p>\n
According to Vic Albornoz Lactaoen, the ASEAN secretariat
\nsenior officer for public information, the farmers in Jambi would
\nuse the hub in Indonesian and there would be a mediator when they
\nattempted trade negotiations with overseas buyers.<\/p>\n
ASEAN plans to start the US$20 million project in Vietnam,
\nCambodia, Laos, and Thailand within the year, followed by
\nMalaysia and the Philippines next year.<\/p>\n
ASEAN expects to establish 15,000 e-hubs across the region and
\nbring 10 million farmers online over the next 3 years to 4 years.<\/p>\n
The project is projected to create 10,000 new small and medium
\nenterprises, increase ASEAN agriculture exports by 30 percent and
\nincrease the average net income of ASEAN farmers by 50 percent.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asean-launches-e-farmers-project-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}