Enviro News Asia, North Sumatra — Indonesia’s Vice Minister of Forestry, Rohmat Marzuki, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to integrating sustainable forestry with advanced agricultural technologies during a high-level meeting on Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based agriculture development in the Lake Toba region.
The meeting, organized by the National Economic Council, took place at the Herbal and Horticulture Science and Technology Park and was chaired by Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
Discussions emphasized the importance of integrating key components—including land management, digital technology, human resources, and global partnerships—to accelerate the transformation of agriculture in strategic areas such as the Lake Toba region.
Key priorities included the development of strategic commodities such as garlic and the implementation of data-driven agricultural systems powered by AI. This approach is expected to enhance productivity, improve efficiency, and ensure stability in food supply and pricing.
Participants also highlighted the role of AI in enabling real-time data collection and analysis, allowing for more accurate and responsive policymaking in the agricultural sector.
In his remarks, Vice Minister Rohmat stressed that agricultural development must remain aligned with environmental sustainability principles. He expressed the Ministry of Forestry’s readiness to collaborate in ecosystem restoration while supporting national food self-sufficiency goals.
He further noted that optimizing the use of non-forested land could serve as a practical solution, particularly for seed production, downstream agricultural processing, and the expansion of agroforestry systems—one of the ministry’s priority programs.
The initiative reflects a broader government effort to position the Lake Toba region as a model for modern, integrated agriculture that balances productivity with environmental conservation through cross-sector collaboration and technological innovation. (*)
