Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo Supports Young Farmers’ Capacity Building

RRI.CO.ID, Tokyo - The Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo supports efforts to strengthen the capacity of young Indonesian farmers through the ASEAN Young Farm Leaders Training Program in Japan (AYFLTPJ) 2026. The program provides a hand on learning platform for young ASEAN farmers to gain knowledge of technology, modern agricultural management, and the work ethic of Japanese society.

The program is organized by the Japan Agricultural Exchange Council (JAEC) in cooperation with Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). It also involves the governments of participating countries, namely Indonesia through the Ministry of Agriculture, Thailand, and the Philippines.

The opening ceremony of the program was held on April 27, 2026, at the Ota City Youth Exchange Center in Tokyo. The event was attended by representatives of MAFF Japan, JAEC, the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, as well as representatives of the Thai Embassy and the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo.

This year, AYFLTPJ is attended by 50 young ASEAN farmers. They consist of 18 participants from Indonesia, 9 from Thailand, and 23 from the Philippines.

The Forestry Attaché and Acting Agricultural Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, Ima Yudin Rayaningtyas, expressed appreciation to JAEC and MAFF Japan for their commitment to consistently implementing the program. She said the training is important to strengthen the quality of human resources in the agricultural sector, particularly among the younger generation.

“AYFLTPJ is not only a training program, but also a long-term investment in the development of agricultural human resources in the ASEAN region. The Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo hopes that Indonesian participants can make the most of this opportunity to learn about technology, modern agricultural management, smart agriculture, farming systems, and the work ethic of Japanese society," Ima Yudin Rayaningtyas said, as quoted from an official statement on Thursday, June 4, 2026.

"The knowledge and best practices gained during the program are expected to be adapted in Indonesia to support increased productivity, efficiency, added value in farming businesses, and the strengthening of national food security,” she added.

Currently, the 18 Indonesian participants are living with host farmers across 10 prefectures in Japan. For around 11 months, they will take part in hands-on field training, learn about Japanese community life, and develop discipline, responsibility, and professionalism.

As part of the program monitoring, visits to participants’ training locations in six prefectures will be carried out from June to July 2026. The six prefectures are Ibaraki, Fukushima, Wakayama, Okinawa, Niigata, and Fukui.

The commodities studied by the participants in the six prefectures are quite diverse. They include strawberries, sweet potatoes, rice, vegetables, melons, oranges, spices, dracaena, bananas, edamame, flowers, and taro.

In addition to the monitoring visits from June to July, the program is also scheduled to continue with a monitoring visit in August 2026 and an annual meeting in September 2026.

Ima expressed hope that AYFLTPJ would not only serve as a platform to improve agricultural knowledge. Beyond that, the program is also expected to strengthen networks, friendship, and regional cooperation among the younger generation of ASEAN farmers.