Millenials Farmers Should Be Develop

Human resources (HR) have an important role especially in optimizing agricultural development programs. The power of human resources is very important in driving the wheels of national development, especially in preparing agricultural development plans efficiently and effectively.

Statistic proof that the labor force according to age from 2008 to 2017 has increased. In 2017, the labor force aged 30-44 years dominated with a total of 45.8 million people, followed by the age of 45-59 years totaling 33.3 million people.
On the other hand, the absorption of agricultural labor tends to decline sharply and the numbers are quite significant, namely 33.51 percent, followed by trade (22.54 percent), services (16.54 percent), and the industrial sector (13.12 percent).

farmers are identical with "elder" who only have a low education or they are not even educated so that most of them are just farm laborers whose agricultural products are paid cheaply, even if the product is up to the consumer the price can soar. Indonesian farmers are also recognized by carrying hoes and sickles everywhere, feet not with sandals / shoes, and usually using bamboo caping. Unlike the picture of a farmer in developed countries, for example farmers in Japan. The Japanese government focuses on developing farmers from skills and income, so that Japan has educational standards in farming skills. In addition farmers in Japan have used highly sophisticated technology which has become a standard for farming in Japan.

Then where is our young generation?
The younger generation is currently more interested in the industrial and service sectors because some of the labor income in the agricultural sector is lower compared to the industrial and service sectors. Besides that, because the industrial and service sectors are more promising a more definite career path. Concerns about the increasing number of land conversions, apparently there are more worrying. Because Indonesia is a crisis of farmers!

This is very worrying because who will continue to be a farmer? while the need for food cannot be stopped even less the dose. Many of our youth generation do not have the knowledge and skills in running agribusiness, including in terms of managerial ability.
Don't let our beloved country which is said to be an agrarian country, instead becomes a country of crisis farmers. In this case, to overcome the lack of interest of the younger generation in the agricultural sector, the Ministry of Agriculture has six strategies for regeneration of farmers.

1. Transformation of Agricultural Vocational Higher Education. Six STPP (College of Agricultural Counseling) which were originally their study programs were only counseling (agriculture, plantations and livestock), plus must be horticultural agribusiness oriented, plantation agribusiness, agricultural mechanization. Thus, in the future there will be a growing generation of young people who are prepared to become farmers as well as agricultural businesses.

2. Initiation of Growing Young Entrepreneurs Agriculture Program. This program works with 16 State Universities (PTN).

3. Involvement of Students / Alumni / Youth Farmers to Intensify Mentoring / Escort of the Ministry of Agriculture Program.

4. Growth of Joint Business Groups (KUB) that are Focused on Agriculture for Youth Farmers.

5. Training and apprenticeship for young farmers in agriculture.

6. Optimizing extension agents to encourage and develop young farmers.
   Surely the Indonesian Agricultural University cannot do it alone. Various strategic steps and efforts from various parties are needed. Because not everyone can get higher education for various reasons.
   The government should collaborate with performance training institutions (LPK) in the development of human resources and make a real contribution to the needs of the Indonesian people. So in this case, LPK is expected to be able to produce human resources, especially in agriculture, which have the right knowledge and technology to improve the quality of life of the community, have good technical, soft skills, and emotional and spiritual skills, so that they are able to face the challenges of the present always changing.