Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman presented a sweeping vision for strengthening national food security and driving downstream agro-industry development in an address to Gadjah Mada University (UGM) alumni on Thursday, July 17, 2025.

While emphasizing the importance of bold decision-making, cross-sector collaboration, and developing local economies based on regional potential, Amran cited the challenges confronting Indonesia’s agriculture sector − including political pressure, media disinformation, and institutional inconsistency − while also sharing his experiences leading major agricultural projects in South Papua, Central Kalimantan, and South Sumatra.

In these regions, he said, underutilized lands have been transformed into productive food centers through a holistic approach.

“We must be courageous. We’re building in difficult places, working from upstream to downstream. Previously we had only one harvest per year, now we can do three, increasing yields from three to seven tons per hectare because we changed the system,” Amran said.

He criticized past failures that resulted from fragmented, short-term agricultural policies, singling out the tendency to change programs whenever a new minister is appointed and the persistence of sectoral egos.

“Big ideas without action mean nothing. Every time we change ministers, we change programs − two steps forward, two steps back. And this is public money, not anyone’s personal legacy,” he stressed.

A key highlight of Amran’s presentation was the push to industrialize strategic agricultural commodities like coconut, cocoa, and cashew. He noted that processed coconut products can increase export value by up to 10,000 percent − a major opportunity given that Indonesia has three million hectares of coconut plantations.

“Coconuts don’t grow in Europe. And now the global diet is shifting to healthier choices like virgin coconut oil. We should not export raw materials. We should export value-added products − oil, coir, water, fiber − everything that has value,” he said.

Amran urged UGM alumni to actively take part in building processing factories across Indonesia. He proposed raising Rp1 trillion (US$61.2 million) in investment through a shareholding scheme rather than donations.

“We’ll roll out the red carpet, we’ll prepare the regulations. Let’s build coconut factories throughout the archipelago. If 500,000 (UGM) alumni each buy one Rp1 million share, we’re good to go,” he said.

Sharing personal reflections, Amran recounted his childhood in a remote village and his years working deep in the forests near the Philippine border before becoming a minister. He said his journey proves that anyone can succeed with perseverance and sincerity.

“I come from the forest. But I have big dreams. We all should. If we remain consistent over the next 15 years, downstream agriculture can create 8 million jobs and end national unemployment,” he stated optimistically.

He concluded with a passionate call for unity, collaboration, and a shared commitment to national development — beyond institutional or social affiliations. Amran also reminded the audience that agricultural success is not only a matter of technical efficiency but also political will and moral clarity.

“You won’t find successful people whose hearts are full of envy. And you can’t achieve real development without consistency. Let’s stop with the endless seminars and start working in the field,” he declared emotionally.

During the forum, Amran also showcased technological innovations in agriculture, such as operator-free drone seeders, and expressed his hope that UGM would play a key role in the agrarian-based economic revolution from the village level up.