Syngenta Launches Smart Horticulture Handbook to Strengthen Food Security
Syngenta Indonesia has launched three smart horticulture cultivation books for the commodities onions, chillies, and tomatoes, aimed at strengthening national food security. The launch took place in Soreang, West Java, on 2 March and was attended by more than 100 farmers and other agricultural stakeholders.
The initiative aligns with efforts to boost agricultural productivity and reinforce food supply, particularly for horticultural crops that are prone to price fluctuations. The three books are titled ‘Superior Red Onion, Optimal Harvest, Maximum Yield’, ‘Healthy, Flourishing Chillies, Bountiful Harvest, Profitable Returns’, and ‘Natural Shine Tomatoes, Healthy Plants, Multiplied Yields’.
Rahmat Hidayat, Head of the Extension Division of the West Java Provincial Agriculture Office for Food Crops and Horticulture, applauded the initiative. He said practical cultivation guides can help farmers enhance technical capacity in the field.
‘There is no end to learning, including in crop cultivation. We greatly appreciate Syngenta’s effort to produce smart books that can help farmers cultivate horticultural crops well,’ he said, quoted on Friday 6 March 2026.
The smart books are being distributed free of charge to vegetable farmers and others who wish to learn horticultural cultivation. The materials are written in everyday language and include colour photographs to facilitate the learning process.
Rahmat said productivity improvement is the key to enhancing farmers’ welfare. He added that collaboration between the government and the private sector could accelerate knowledge transfer to farmers in various regions.
‘The government and Syngenta share the same goal: to increase farmers’ income and welfare through higher productivity,’ he said.
Suhendro, Marketing Head of Syngenta Indonesia, said the launch of the smart books is part of the company’s commitment to supporting the strengthening of the national agricultural sector. The practical guides are designed to help farmers cope with various horticultural production challenges.
He explained that improving the quality and productivity of harvests is expected to strengthen food availability while also boosting farmers’ welfare. Syngenta plans to expand the rollout of the smart books to various vegetable production centres in Indonesia over the coming months.
Narendra Widyanto, Business Planning & Commercial Excellence Manager at Syngenta Indonesia, explained that the books combine farmers’ experiences with technical approaches developed by the company.
‘The smart book is compiled based on input from farmers and the technical knowledge applied by Syngenta. The content covers not only Syngenta technologies, but also information on pests and diseases and their solutions, sustainable agricultural innovations, and farming safety aspects,’ he said.
He added the guide is available in print and in a digital version via the Cropwise Syngenta app. The digital version is expected to make it easier for farmers to access cultivation information at any time.
The launch of the smart book was accompanied by a talk show titled ‘Synergy of the Three Pillars – Government, Syngenta, and Farming Stakeholders in the Context of Improving the Quality and Yields Across Nusantara’. The event featured speakers including Rahmat Hidayat, Chairman of the Indonesian BioAgroinput Association and also Chairman of HKTI’s Fertiliser Division Gunawan Sutio, Chairman of High Spender (HSP) Priangan-Bandung Dede Koswara, Product Manager–Portfolio Head at Syngenta Indonesia Tey Huy Xiang, and Technical Market Development at Syngenta Indonesia Ali Zarkasi.
Through education and practical guides, Syngenta aims to strengthen farmers’ knowledge and skills in managing horticultural cultivation. Collaboration with various stakeholders is expected to drive Indonesian agriculture forward in a more advanced and sustainable manner.