Jakarta, INTI - The application of precision agriculture technology in wetland areas has emerged as a strategic breakthrough in strengthening national food security and self-sufficiency. This was conveyed by the Head of the Energy and Manufacturing Research Organization at Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN), Cuk Supriyadi Ali Nandar, during the PRIMA Webinar Series #3 titled “Precision Agriculture Equipment in Wetland Areas to Support Food Self-Sufficiency”, held online on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
Cuk emphasized that food security is a fundamental issue for the survival of a nation.
“Food is a matter of life and death for a nation. If people’s food needs are not met, it can create major problems. Therefore, large, radical, and innovative efforts are required to ensure its sustainability,” he said.
Meanwhile, Head of BRIN’s Research Center for Agricultural Equipment Manufacturing, Taufik Hidayat, highlighted the importance of developing precision agriculture technology in wetland areas to ensure long-term food self-sufficiency.
“The President’s program is very clear. The success of food self-sufficiency must not be temporary, but forward-oriented,” he stated.
According to him, optimizing wetland potential through adaptive and appropriate technology represents a strategic step in sustaining this achievement.
Senior Researcher at BRIN’s Research Center for Manufacturing Technology of Agricultural Equipment, Budi Raharjo, added that transforming wetlands into national and global food production hubs requires technological support and site-specific precision farming equipment. This effort is considered essential to improve productivity while addressing future food security challenges.
He noted that wetlands have become a strategic option as technically irrigated farmland in Java and other regions is increasingly limited.
“There is no other choice, wetlands represent a major opportunity to be developed as rice production centers. The government has even declared wetlands as national food barns and future global food barns,” he explained.
He further stressed that wetland development is not merely about land clearing but involves an integrated process including water management, mechanization, and precision technology implementation.
According to him, the main challenges in wetland farming include land leveling, planting systems, and drying processes.
“If these three aspects are addressed through site-specific precision technology, wetlands can become the backbone of national food security,” he said.
In addition, the Head of the Wetland and Coastal Data and Information Center (PUSDATARAWA) at Universitas Sriwijaya, Momon Sodik Imanudin, emphasized that proper water management is the key to successful agricultural mechanization in tidal wetland areas. Without structured water control systems, agricultural modernization risks facing soil degradation and low productivity.
He noted that mechanization has become an urgent necessity amid declining agricultural labor availability. However, its success depends heavily on well-functioning water infrastructure.
“Modern agriculture and mechanization must be implemented, but their success is highly dependent on water management systems and properly functioning water structures,” he said.
Mechanization is considered inevitable in tidal wetland regions, which generally cover larger areas than irrigated rice fields. However, the provision of agricultural machinery must be based on farmers’ actual needs.
He stressed the importance of a participatory approach to ensure that equipment is appropriate, easy to maintain, and optimally utilized.
According to him, wetland management is a gradual and long-term process that requires continuous evaluation of water infrastructure. When water systems are properly managed, soil maturity can be achieved more quickly, mechanization becomes effective, and productivity increases.
Conclusion
With sustained research and technological innovation, wetland areas hold significant potential to strengthen Indonesia’s position as a strategic food producer at both national and global levels. Precision agriculture, supported by integrated water management and mechanization, is not only transforming challenging landscapes into productive farmland but also laying a resilient foundation for long-term food security and self-sufficiency.
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