BNI Invites Millennials To Support National Food Security

Illustration (Photo: Doc. BNI)

JAKARTA PT Bank Negara Indonesia Tbk. (BNI) is said to be committed to supporting national food security by developing an agricultural ecosystem involving young farmers.

BNI Retail Banking Director Putrama Wahju Setyawan said that his party is now designing the BNI Millennial Smartfarming program, which is one of the pillars of sustainable finance.

According to him, this program focuses on the participation of young farmers and the use of digitalization to support the financing of the agricultural sector which has an impact on the green economy. Putrama said that through the BNI Millennial Smartfarming program, the company hopes to form a millennial agricultural ecosystem by integrating all stages of agricultural production.

"Of course we believe the role and empowerment of millennial farmers as key players can be done through the development and development of digital agriculture by implementing agricultural Internet of Things (IoT) technology from upstream to downstream," he said in a written statement quoted on Tuesday, April 18.

Putrama added that some of the focus of activities include coaching clinics to millennial farmers regarding the use of applications for data collection on farmers and offtakers, to training on the use of water drilling equipment.

"The support provided by BNI to the agricultural sector is not only limited to financing, but also coaching and development by involving synergies between ministries/agencies or related agencies," he said.

To note, the state-owned bank disbursed loans to the agricultural sector amounting to IDR 54.3 trillion by the end of December 2022.

"Financing for the agricultural sector continues to grow. Of course we will continue to encourage the development of the agricultural sector to improve the welfare of farmers," he said.

"Hopefully in the future, with the BNI Millennial Smart farming program, more and more young farmers will enter the agricultural sector, so that they can realize national food sovereignty and improve the welfare of Indonesian farmers," concluded Putrama.