Deputy Minister Urges Farmer Entrepreneurs to Focus on Business Building, Not Chasing Government Projects
Deputy Minister of Agriculture (Wamentan) Sudaryono has urged the Indonesian Farmers Entrepreneurs (PTI) to stop orienting themselves towards chasing government projects and instead build large, healthy, and competitive agricultural businesses by strengthening exports. According to him, the biggest opportunity in the agricultural sector currently lies in the expansion of global markets, which the government continues to open in line with increasing national production.
This message was conveyed by Sudaryono while inaugurating the PTI board and opening the association’s first National Working Meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture Auditorium in Jakarta on Tuesday (21/7/2026). He emphasised that President Prabowo Subianto’s policy direction has placed agriculture as a priority sector, so business actors must be able to seize these opportunities.
“Don’t just seek access to government projects. Build a big business, a healthy business, an export-oriented business,” said the Deputy Minister.
He stated that the government has opened various export opportunities, ranging from chicken feet to China, rubber to Russia, and other agricultural commodities. These opportunities, he said, must be utilised by business actors to expand markets and increase the added value of national agricultural products.
Sudaryono assessed that the scope for government projects is limited and the entire process is strictly supervised. Conversely, agricultural business opportunities will be much greater if entrepreneurs are able to build marketing networks and utilise access to international markets.
According to him, business actors must also adjust their business strategies to the government’s policy of making food self-sufficiency a top priority. This momentum is considered to open up a wide business space for the agricultural sector.
The government, Sudaryono continued, is currently running a development programme for nine strategic plantation commodities, such as coconut, cocoa, coffee, nutmeg, pepper, and other export commodities, with budget support of around Rp 9.9 trillion. This programme opens opportunities for entrepreneurs to get involved in trading, processing, and exporting commodities.
He stressed that all services at the Ministry of Agriculture are carried out in a clean and transparent manner. The public is asked to report any parties claiming to represent him or Ministry of Agriculture officials to offer assistance in exchange for certain rewards.
At the end of his speech, Sudaryono invited PTI board members to spend more time in the field to understand the needs of farmers directly. He believes that agricultural business opportunities are born from closeness to activities in the rice fields, plantations, and production centres.
He added that the government’s success in opening direct durian export access to China demonstrates the government’s commitment to expanding international markets for Indonesian agricultural products. Therefore, farmer entrepreneurs are asked to utilise this momentum to strengthen their businesses and increase the added value of national commodities.
Sudaryono reiterated that all services at the Ministry of Agriculture are carried out in a clean and transparent manner. He asked the public not to trust parties claiming to represent him or Ministry of Agriculture officials to offer assistance in exchange for certain rewards.