Ministry of Agriculture and ITS Strengthen Downstreaming of Energy and National Agricultural Machinery

Surabaya (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Surabaya are strengthening collaboration on the downstreaming of energy and agricultural machinery (alsintan) to promote technological self-reliance and national food security based on domestic innovations.

“Because the sector that is the government’s main focus at present, ITS has all the solutions that the government needs,” said Agriculture Minister (Mentan) Andi Amran Sulaiman while attending the 133rd ITS Graduation in Surabaya on Sunday.

He emphasised the importance of synergy between the government and state universities (PTN) in accelerating the transformation of agriculture towards a modern system.

According to Amran, Indonesia must be self-sufficient in developing agricultural technology so as not to rely on imports any longer.

Kementan and ITS have agreed to start the downstreaming of agricultural equipment and energy, including the development of palm gasoline (Benwit), electric tractor boats for swampy lands, and the coconut climbing tool Moto Climber ITS (MOCITS).

“We see real innovations, starting from the coconut climbing tool, electric tractor boats for swampy lands, to the latest development of bio-gasoline,” said Amran.

The Minister inspected the ITS innovation exhibition, including a trial of the Benwit bio-gasoline led by ITS lecturer in Materials and Metallurgy Engineering, Prof Dr Eng Hosta Ardhyananta ST MSc.