Hundred of Alumni of IPB Assist Farmers Under Upsus Pajale Program
Faculty of Agriculture of Bogor Agricultural University (FAPERTA IPB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) RI dispatched a group of Mentors to assist Upaya Khusus untuk Pencapaian Swasembada Padi, Jagung dan Kedelai (Upsus Pajale Upsus – Special Efforts for Achieving Self-Sufficiency Rice, Corn and Soybeans) Period I, on Sunday, 24 May 2015, at Auditorium Toyib Hadiwijaya, FAPERTA IPB, Dramaga Campus, Bogor. Such program has recruited as many as 101 alumni of 9 Faculty of IPB. They will be deployed to the 12 districts in West Java and one district in Banten, to assist farmers in achieving self-sufficiency in rice, corn and soybeans.
Pajale Upsus coordinator, Dr Ahmad Junaedi, explained that this activity as a follow-up cooperation between IPB with the Ministry of Agriculture RI. IPB is one of the 19 universities involve the Upsus Pajale program. The program will be carried out on May – October 2015.
Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture IPB, Dr Ernan Rustiadi, said, "IPB is mandated to play the most important role as mentor for farmers in the program. Therefore IPB recruited its alumni to go the field to assist farmers to yield their maximum agricultural products. The presence of IPB alumni in those fields hopefully will become the new energy for the community ".
Meanwhile, IPB Rector, Prof. Dr Herry Suhardiyanto, explained that IPB will keep on thinking how to introduce the high yielding varieties of rice, maize and soybeans and other crops to the general public, especially for farmers. "Let us express our sincere thanks for the opportunity given to us to assist farmers to achieve self-sufficiency in rice, corn, soybeans and other crops. Let us increase our morale support by going to the field to assist farmers. Students of IPB must be prepared to assist farmers, teach farmers the best way to cultivate food crops, give the best rice produced by IPB, so they will harvest abundant yields. Assist farmers to pass their worst situation, to get superior seeds easily, and appropriate fertilizers as well. Accordingly, all IPB students are expected to provide problem solving for farmers to improve their life better, "said Rector. (Wied)
