The Agribusiness Study Program of the Faculty of Science and Technology at UIN Jakarta successfully held a national seminar in commemoration of the 64th Farmers' Day, which fell on September 24, 2024. The seminar, themed "Utilizing Local Resources to Promote the Growth of Indonesia's Agricultural Economy," took place on Friday (27/9/2024) and served as the highlight of the Farmers' Day celebration, along with the announcement of competition winners.

The Head of the Agribusiness Study Program, Rizki Adi Puspita Sari, M.M., in her opening remarks, expressed hope that the seminar would have a positive impact on the agricultural economy through the utilization of local resources. The Vice Dean for Student Affairs of FST, Khodijah Hulliyah, M.Si., Ph.D., in her remarks, emphasized the importance of students' contributions to the agricultural sector. “We hope that by attending this seminar, you will gain insights that can be implemented as our contribution to Indonesia,” she stated.

A similar sentiment was conveyed by the Vice Dean for General Administration, Prof. Dr. Ambran Hartono, S.Si., M.Si., who noted that the theme is highly fundamental, especially considering that we are an agrarian country. He also officially opened the event with a symbolic gesture.

The event then continued with presentations from the speakers. The first speaker was the Deputy CEO of PT Food Station, Karyawan Gunarso. He explained that Food Station contributes by leveraging the potential of rice production by supporting and mentoring farmers and farmer groups to increase the absorption of local products.

The second speaker was from the Food Security, Agriculture, and Fisheries Department of South Tangerang, Ir. Yepi Suherman. According to him, agricultural resources are depleting. “This is because the younger generation prefers to work in the service sector,” he added.

Next, the Deputy Director of Academic and Cooperation, Dr. Yeni Suryanti, S.Pt., M.Si., in her session, presented the issue that agriculture is becoming less attractive to millennials due to the perception that farming involves dirty work and offers low income. “The solution to this problem is to encourage the younger generation to engage in agriculture by developing agricultural clusters tailored to the millennial mindset,” she explained.

Finally, the session concluded with a presentation by the Professor of the Agribusiness Study Program, Prof. Ujang Maman, S.S., M.Si., on the decline of agricultural land in Indonesia and the impending crisis of a lack of young farmers within the next 30 years, which he highlighted as a critical issue. “This has a positive correlation with the involvement of creative economy actors in the agricultural sector,” he noted.

The event was lively, ending with the announcement of competition winners and a group photo session, with hopes that more young people will be drawn to agriculture and local potential.