Agriculture Minister Purchases ITS Innovations, from Superior Corn Seeds to Amphibious Tractors

Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman flew to East Java to visit the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) Buncitan Campus in Sidoarjo on Wednesday (22/7/2026). During the visit, he directly purchased various innovations created by the nation’s youth, including superior corn seeds worth IDR 10 billion, an amphibious tractor, and a coconut climbing tool. This step was taken as a follow-up to President Prabowo Subianto’s directive for the government to prioritise the use of products and innovations from universities to support national development, especially in the agricultural sector. Amran stated that Indonesia must provide ample space for campus-born innovations so they do not stop at research but are actually utilised by farmers and become solutions for increasing national food production. “This morning we are proud of the ITS Rector. We saw the work of the nation’s children. There are superior corn seeds with a production of 10 tonnes per hectare, a coconut climbing tool, and an amphibious tractor that can work on both upland and swampy areas,” Amran said in a written statement. As a form of tangible support, the Ministry of Agriculture immediately transacted the purchase of ITS hybrid corn seeds for a planting area of 13,000 hectares, valued at IDR 10 billion. Amran explained that if corn productivity can be pushed to an average of 10 tonnes per hectare through the use of superior seeds and technological assistance, national production will increase significantly without the need to open new land. He also decided to purchase the amphibious tractor and the coconut climbing tool, the latter of which had been ordered previously. He noted that the mechanised coconut climber would improve farmer efficiency while reducing the risk of accidents during harvesting. “We are the world’s largest coconut producer. We need to push this and its downstream industry,” he said. Amran emphasised that the government will continue to prioritise university research results as part of an innovation and technology-based agricultural transformation. ITS corn breeder Muryono explained that the MTE 09 corn seed is ready for mass production to meet farmers’ needs, with distribution starting in October. He added that with proper cultivation technology, productivity could potentially reach up to 20 tonnes per hectare. ITS Rector Bambang Pramujati appreciated the Ministry’s trust and affirmed the university’s commitment to supporting food self-sufficiency through the development of superior seeds and agricultural mechanisation.