Riani Sanusi Putri, Jakarta – Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan explained that his visit to Beijing, China, was aimed at seeking cooperation in the development of food estate megaprojects.
Luhut said that China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology would support the development of laboratories and herbal center areas, as well as food estates.
"There will be an AI [artificial intelligence]-based herbal center and food estate," Luhut said at his office in Central Jakarta on Monday, April 10, 2023.
Luhut mentioned that the Toba Herbal Science and Technology Park (TSTH) area would be used as a pilot project. Then food estate projects in Central Kalimantan, Southeast Sulawesi, and other regions will be initiated.
The development of this technology was expected to enable Indonesia to produce its own seeds domestically. Thus, he went on, the government will no longer need to import seeds for food estate projects.
Luhut said the Indonesian government and China had also agreed to develop genomic technology to develop these seeds. "It has been agreed and it has actually started now," he said.