The study program at the Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Agriculture (FPP) of Diponegoro University (Undip) prepares its graduates with knowledge of digital farming. This is done through a program of sending teaching staff (lecturers) and students to campuses in developed agricultural countries, such as Japan, China and South Korea.
The Head of the Department of Agriculture, FPP Undip, said that apart from sending to several advanced countries in agriculture, public lectures were also held by modern agricultural practitioners who had succeeded.
“This effort aims to bring students’ understanding closer to the world of work in the field of modern agriculture,” he said.
Knowledge of digital agriculture will be the basis for various management conceptions of providing biological food needs, for the future of the world. Meanwhile, various concepts such as smart farming, urban farming and precision farming will all be closely related to digital skills.
“On the other hand, so far there have been no specific courses or knowledge transfer through seminars, public lectures, apprenticeships or studying at external campuses,” he said.
In order to encourage these programs, several FPP lecturers have also begun to incorporate these understandings through the courses they teach. Because entering new courses is not as easy as imagined, even though in real terms there is a need.
He also explained that the principle currently being held is that students know the picture of conditions that must be faced in the future. Because of that, getting closer to industry and studying at a campus that has modern agriculture is an option so that after graduating students are not surprised to see the reality that will be faced.
Regarding the benchmarks for the digital farming program to advanced campuses in East Asia, it is carried out by considering the availability of a collaborative network. There are also considerations of climate and food culture that are relatively closer. For example, both consume rice as a staple food, while many vegetables and fruits are the same.
“Although a number of countries in the European region also have more advanced agriculture, the very different climatic factors are one of the obstacles to its application in practice in the field,” he said.
