Home Affairs Secretary General Urges Regional Governments to Embrace Agricultural Extension Workers

Secretary General of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) Tomsi Tohir has urged regional governments, particularly heads of agricultural offices, to strengthen collaboration with Field Agricultural Extension Workers (PPL). Tomsi stated that agricultural extension workers are the spearhead of agricultural development. He noted that close synergy between policymakers and extension workers is a crucial factor in supporting the acceleration of national food self-sufficiency.

“No one can succeed without cooperation, therefore maintain cohesiveness and be willing to embrace and listen to the extension workers,” he said during a Coordination Meeting on the Expansion of the Advanced Agricultural System (PM-AAS) Rice Cultivation at the Ministry of Agriculture office in Jakarta on Thursday (9/7), according to a written statement.

Tomsi added that the government is currently paying great attention to the agricultural sector as one of the foundations of national food security. For this reason, regional governments are asked to align their agricultural development programmes and policies with the national targets for 2027. The targets to be achieved include increasing rice production to 55,273,000 tonnes, designating 5,981,300 hectares of Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B), and optimising the operations of 5,829 Agricultural Extension Centres (BPP) across various regions.

Furthermore, Tomsi emphasised that the success of a Head of a Regional Agricultural Office is not determined solely by educational background or experience, but by the willingness to continue learning and to build good communication with extension workers who understand the field conditions first-hand. “Therefore, it does not matter where we come from, what matters is our desire to know and our willingness to embrace these PPL colleagues,” he said.

Tomsi also expressed his appreciation to the agricultural extension workers for their dedication in assisting farmers and maintaining the sustainability of national food production. According to him, the contribution of extension workers plays a very significant role in ensuring that the community’s food needs are met. “Without you, the extension workers, we would not succeed, and we do not realise it because we eat rice every day, this is all the result of your hard work,” Tomsi said.