IPB, Bappenas, and Kementan Complete Review of KOICA Grant Program for National Rice Production Improvement
As part of strengthening national food security, IPB University, together with the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (Kementerian PPN/Bappenas) and the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan), has completed the review process for the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Grant Program.
This collaboration is part of a national strategy to increase rice production and productivity in Indonesia. The program, entitled “Strengthening Food Security of Indonesia: Increasing Rice Production and Productivity through the Establishment of Indonesia–Korea Rice Innovation Center,” is planned to run from 2026 to 2032 with a total funding of US$ 25,000,000.
Following the 1st Implementation Survey on June 30–July 9, 2025, activities will now continue with the 2nd Implementation Survey on October 20–29, 2025. Field visits were conducted to three pilot areas: Ciasem and Compreng (Subang), Surodadi (Tegal), and Pamijahan (Bogor). The team held discussions with local governments, agricultural extension workers, farmer groups, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and Perum Bulog Bogor.
“This stage focuses on formulating a more detailed implementation plan based on the results of previous surveys, national needs, and potential technical support from the Korean government,” said Prof Azis Boing Sitanggang, Secretary of the Institute for International Research, Food, Nutrition, and Health (LRI PGK) at IPB University.
Through KOICA grant support, IPB University, Bappenas, Kementan, and BRIN are committed to strengthening research, technology development, and human resource capacity building in the rice sector.
This program is designed with five strategic objectives, namely:
- Strengthening national policies in the rice sector;
- Establishing a Rice Innovation Center (RICE) at IPB University as a center of excellence for research and innovation;
- Improving access to climate-adaptive superior rice varieties;
- Encouraging the application of modern agricultural technology at the farmer level; and
- Developing a rice value chain oriented towards farmer welfare and inclusive development.
“Through a multi-stakeholder and evidence-based approach, this program is expected to produce a model for strengthening the rice production system that can be replicated nationally. The collaboration between IPB University, Bappenas, the Ministry of Agriculture, BRIN, and KOICA is a concrete manifestation of international partnership to build a resilient, productive, and globally competitive food system in Indonesia,” concluded Prof Azis. (*/Rz) (IAAS/FMT)
