How an Award-Winning Farmer Combined Agriculture, Tourism and Technology in West Java
In Indonesia’s Subang Regency, West Java, entrepreneur Adimas Muhammad Wibisana is experimenting with an exciting new idea.
He wants to tap into the agri-tourism potential of his greenhouse, which currently produces cantaloupe melons, and bring tourists to experience life as farmers during a harvest season.
It is ideas like this and Mr Wibisana’s ability to realise them that won him a Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Support Services Programme (YESS) competitive grant, co-financed by IFAD and Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2022. The goal of the programme is to create opportunities for rural youth at a time when many are migrating to cities or abroad in search of job opportunities.
Mr Wibisana’s 1.3-hectare farm is a cutting-edge facility. Besides cantaloupe melons, he grows cavendish bananas, as well as other fruits and vegetables. Internet of Things applications help him with smart irrigation techniques, giving his crops just enough water at just the right time.
“When I got involved in agriculture last year, my first thought was to see how I can use smart farming techniques to grow our agri-businesses,” he said. He has since realized that combining smart farms with a greenhouse allows him to cut costs, be more labour-efficient, and produce better yields.
More than 35,000 young Indonesians have participated in financial literacy and business management trainings offered by YESS. The programme has also connected over 750 apprentices to mentors, and more than 1,000 young or novice agripreneurs like Mr Wibisana have won grants.
“Farmers like Adimas serve as an example to rural youth – showing them the benefits of the agricultural sector and that they too can play a role in transforming small-scale farms into sustainable agribusinesses,” said Anissa Pratiwi, Country Programme Officer at IFAD.