Makassar, 14–16 November 2025 — The delegation from the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (DTPB FTP UGM) participated in the 2025 National Congress of the Indonesian Society of Agricultural Engineers (PERTETA), held at the AAS Building, Makassar. The delegation from Yogyakarta included Dr. Arifin Dwi Saputro (representing DTPB FTP UGM), Dr. Andri Prima Nugroho (Chair of PERTETA Yogyakarta Chapter), and Dr. Radi (Secretary-General of PERTETA Central Board).
Carrying the theme “Agricultural Technology Innovation for Achieving Smart and Sustainable Agriculture in the Digital Era to Support Food Sovereignty,” the 2025 PERTETA Congress served as a strategic platform for collaboration among government, academia, and practitioners. The presence of DTPB FTP UGM strengthened the university’s commitment to driving agricultural technology innovation and supporting national efforts in agro-industrial development and food sovereignty.
This year’s congress also marked an important milestone for Indonesia’s agricultural sector following the country’s achievement of a national rice surplus in 2025 — a strategic accomplishment regarded as a new chapter in food self-sufficiency. In recognition of this success, PERTETA officially awarded the title “National Father of Food Self-Sufficiency” to Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman. The award was presented directly by PERTETA Chairman Desrial, who emphasized that under Amran’s leadership, Indonesia had successfully shifted from rice imports to a projected surplus of around 4 million tons this year.
In his remarks, Minister Amran expressed his gratitude to PERTETA and the entire academic community of agricultural engineering in Indonesia. He stated that the award is a collective achievement of farmers, extension workers, academics, and the wider community who have contributed to strengthening national food independence.
Minister Amran further outlined the government’s strategies in strengthening agricultural downstream processing (hilirisasi) as a driving force for the people’s economy. With coconut and derivative exports already reaching Rp24 trillion, he highlighted that full-scale downstream processing could increase this potential to Rp2,400 trillion. Hilirisasi, he noted, has the capacity to create millions of new jobs and stimulate rural economic growth.
The Minister also called on PERTETA and agricultural engineering universities to take a greater role in innovating agricultural tools and technologies. He emphasized the importance of research that is responsive to real community needs and can be directly applied, such as affordable planting tools, post-harvest processing technologies, and amphibious tractors for peatland or swamp areas. The government expressed readiness to adopt such practical innovations.
“We need innovation, not just discussion. If the technology is good and beneficial for farmers, we will purchase it immediately,” Amran affirmed.
Aligned with its theme, the 2025 PERTETA National Congress contributes significantly to several SDGs targets, including SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
The participation of DTPB FTP UGM in this national forum reaffirms the commitment of academia to strengthening Indonesia’s agricultural technology innovation and supporting the acceleration of SDGs achievement through research, downstream development, and community engagement.
