The Faculty of Agriculture Universitas Gadjah Mada (Faperta UGM) continues to demonstrate its commitment to empowering local farmers. This commitment was recently realized through a collaboration with Indomaret, the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries of Sleman Regency, and Millennial Farmers of Sleman to launch the Regional Economic Empowerment Program through California Papaya Cultivation. The signing of the Cooperation Agreement (PKS) took place on Tuesday, 7 January 2025, at the Venture Room, 6th Floor of the AGLC Building, Faculty of Agriculture UGM.
The signing ceremony was attended by Ir. Jaka Widada, M.P., Ph.D. (Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM), Ir. Suparmono, M.M. (Head of the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries (DP3) of Sleman Regency), Liem Astuti, S.P., M.Si. (Head of Agricultural Extension Division), Feki Oktavianus (Microeconomics Executive Director of Indomaret), Purwanto Wahyudi (Marketing Microeconomics Project Executive of Indomaret), representatives of Millennial Farmer Groups of Sleman, and the UGM Faculty of Agriculture Expert Team.
The event began with remarks from the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture UGM, Ir. Jaka Widada, M.P., Ph.D., who emphasized the importance of collaboration to strengthen the local agricultural sector.
“We are delighted and proud to collaborate with Indomaret, Sleman Agriculture Department, and Millennial Farmers of Sleman to initiate this California Papaya cultivation program. This collaboration is expected to provide tangible benefits, meet the demand for quality papayas, and improve the welfare of local farmers,” stated Dean Dr. Jaka.
Feki Oktavianus, the Microeconomics Executive Director of Indomaret, welcomed the program enthusiastically, stating that this collaboration has great potential and strategic momentum to support economic development in Sleman. He emphasized that the program aims to empower farmers, increase community income—especially for farmers—and help reduce unemployment rates.
Ir. Suparmono, M.M., Head of the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries of Sleman Regency, highlighted that this is the second collaboration between the government, Faperta UGM, and Indomaret for farmer empowerment. A similar partnership was implemented in 2024 with a seedless watermelon cultivation program in Sleman Regency, which showed positive progress and is still ongoing.
During the event, updates on the seedless watermelon empowerment program over the past year were presented. Additionally, the UGM Faculty of Agriculture team shared findings from a feasibility study on California Papaya empowerment, represented by Doddy Kastono, S.P., M.Sc.
The event culminated with the signing of the PKS, followed by a group photo session featuring all stakeholders, including representatives from Faperta UGM, Indomaret, DP3 Sleman, and Millennial Farmers of Sleman. This collaboration is expected to pave the way for other economic empowerment programs focused on agriculture and enhance synergy among farmers, the government, academics, and the business sector.
“We hope this collaboration continues and expands to include other commodities in the future, fostering mutual symbiosis among all stakeholders,” added Ardhi Prasetyo, Director of Millennial Farmers.
This initiative also supports the achievement of SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 15: Life on Land, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
Writer: Agrit Kirana Bunda
Editor: Desi Utami