With its vast landscapes and fertile soils, Indonesia stands as an agricultural powerhouse, offering immense opportunities in staple crops and horticulture. Staple and horticultural crops contribute roughly US$50 billion to the national GDP. Across 26 million hectares of arable land, approximately 15.5 million farming households work tirelessly to cultivate essential crops like rice, corn, chillies, and potatoes, feeding the nation and driving the agricultural economy.

Yet, despite having the largest arable land in Southeast Asia and ranking among the world’s top producers, Indonesia’s crop yields lag behind its neighbours. Indonesia’s staple crop, rice, yields an average of 4.7–5.3 tons per hectare, lower than Vietnam’s 5.7–6.0 tons and China’s seven tons per hectare.

Indonesia is also the fourth-largest chilli producer, yet its chilli pepper yields hover around 8–9 tons per hectare, behind China’s 22 tons and Thailand’s 14 tons. Potato yields range from 15 to 20 tons per hectare, comparable to China and Thailand but significantly lower than Laos, where yields reach 32 tons per hectare. 

Now, imagine increasing yields by 50 per cent or even doubling them within a single growing season, without expanding farmland. The impact would be game-changing, not just for food security but also for smallholder farmers, many of whom earn as little as US$87 per month, even 35 per cent below Java’s typical regional minimum wage.

So why is productivity still a challenge? Farming is an uphill battle, full of risks. As conditions evolve, challenges multiply, making higher yields even harder to achieve. To understand why output continues to lag, we must look at four critical challenges that shape farmers’ reality:

• Extreme weather
• Persistent pest outbreaks
• Limited understanding of soil health
• Lack of reliable access to farming knowledge

In this article, we will explore each of these challenges in depth, highlighting opportunities for intervention and innovation to drive a more resilient and sustainable agricultural future.

Battling extreme weather: Farming in unpredictable conditions

The rhythm of farming has long danced to the tune of rains and tropical sun:

Rice farmers in Java and Sumatra schedule their planting with the onset of the wet season so that their sawah (paddy) fields are naturally flooded.

Corn farmers meticulously time their sowing schedules to ensure that young seedlings benefit from ample moisture during the early rainy season, establishing a strong start before any dry spells occur.

Highland potato farmers in Dieng, dealing with cool, damp conditions and heavy rains, strategically time their fungicide applications to shield crops from fungal infections.

Even in normal years, Indonesian farmers contend with weather patterns that can be unpredictable. However, recent extreme weather events have pushed these challenges to unprecedented levels. El Niño in 2023–2024 prolonged the dry season, disrupting planting schedules and stressing crops.

The consequences have been significant, though not all of them are well-documented. In 2024, rice production suffered an estimated decline of around 18 per cent compared to 2023, as farmers struggled to adapt to the delayed rains. In Kabupaten Sikka, drought conditions led to approximately 20 per cent of the corn crop failing in 2024, highlighting the vulnerability of local agriculture to shifting climate patterns.

Also Read: Unlocking agritech’s potential: Can Southeast Asia rise to the challenge?

With extreme weather events becoming more frequent, traditional planting schedules are no longer reliable. While completely preventing weather-related adversities is impossible, early warning signs can help mitigate their impact.

The never-ending firefight: Why reactive pest management fails

Farmers pour everything into their land—time, money, and sweat—but what if the result is watching it all be destroyed by pests or wither away from diseases they couldn’t cure? 

Farmers face a relentless battle against stubborn pests and diseases. Corn farmers are fighting Anthracnose, known locally as hama patek, which can cause a drastic yield reduction of up to 94 per cent. Highland potato farmers in Indonesia are battling the ever-evolving Phytophthora, which frequently mutates locally, reducing its sensitivity to commonly used fungicides. Cabai rawit, or chili peppers, face the Gemini virus, which thrives in tropical climates. Unlike in Western countries, where cold weather limits its spread, the virus persists year-round in Indonesia, gripping farms.

Farmers are fighting back the best way they know how: pesticides. But here’s the problem. Out of fear of losing everything, many farmers apply pesticides at levels far exceeding recommended doses. Utami et al. (2020) found that farmers in the Upper Citarum River Basin applied an average of 24.6 kg of pesticides per hectare annually—much higher than the 16.2 kg per hectare used in Vietnam and 8.4 kg per hectare in Thailand. This overuse not only doubles expenses but also poisons the soil and puts additional pressure on the growing plant.

It feels like an endless battle—spray more, spend more, yet still lose crops. But the real way forward isn’t just dumping more chemicals into the fields. The key is understanding the land, the pests, and how to fight them smarter, not harder. Instead of reacting to problems after they arise, farmers can tackle root causes to prevent them.

In this way, farmers can break out of this exhausting cycle and actually build a more sustainable way to protect their harvests for the long run.

Uncharted ground: The overlooked role of soil health in farming

Over months of farming, the nutrients that make crops thrive are gradually depleted, leaving the land weaker with each harvest, unless nutrient replenishment strategies are taken to restore balance. Take potatoes, for example. After a season of potato farming, nitrogen levels in the soil plummet because potatoes are heavy feeders of nitrogen. If farmers don’t replenish it properly, the next crop will struggle to grow, leading to lower yields and weaker plants.

Many farmers rely on past experience, assessing soil color by sight and texture by touch—but soil conditions can change due to factors like erosion, rainfall, and previous crop nutrient uptake, making past experience unreliable as the sole guide. Guesswork cannot determine the precise nutrient adjustments needed for planting.

This is where soil analysis comes in. A good soil test tells farmers exactly what their land is missing—whether it’s nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium—so they can apply the right nutrients at the right time. Soil analysis also determines whether the soil is in the right condition to absorb nutrients, as pH levels and electrical conductivity (EC) play a huge role in this.

Soil pH determines acidity or alkalinity, which directly affects nutrient availability. For example, phosphorus fertilisers are most effective at a pH of 6.0–7.0, but when the soil becomes too acidic (which often happens due to over-fertilisation), phosphorus binds with other elements and forms insoluble compounds, making it less accessible for plant uptake and hindering growth. 

EC measures the concentration of dissolved salts in the soil, influencing nutrient absorption. Low EC may indicate a lack of essential ions, making fertilisers less effective, while high EC can signal excess salts, making it harder for roots to absorb water and causing nutrient imbalances that hinder plant growth.

Also Read: The agritech challenge in Indonesia: Can AI and mobile apps enhance productivity?

Instead of treating all land the same, farmers need better access to soil testing and guidance on how to adjust their approach. Understanding their soil’s nutrient levels, pH, and EC can help them make small but powerful changes—like adjusting fertiliser types, correcting pH imbalances, managing EC levels through proper irrigation or organic amendments, or rotating crops strategically. It’s not just about saving money; it’s about protecting the land so it can keep producing for generations to come.

The knowledge crisis: Why “asking the neighbour” isn’t enough

Picture this: A chilli farmer in Sumatra struggles with wilting crops. He asks a neighbour, who recommends doubling pesticide use. The neighbour’s farm thrives, but his farm worsens. Why? Because soil isn’t universal. 

Research by Istriningsih et al. (2022) found that 80 per cent of farmers rely on peer advice as their primary source of information, placing even more trust in neighbours than retailers (59 per cent) or farmer group leaders (50 per cent). Yet, soil health varies significantly.

A study in Medan, sampling every 250 meters, found soil pH ranging from 4.61 (acidic) to 5.87 (slightly acidic), highlighting that even adjacent land can differ in fundamental ways (Agrosains: Jurnal Penelitian Agronomi, 2021). This dependence on non-scientific guidance often leads to inconsistent or ineffective farming practices.

One of the biggest challenges Indonesian farmers face is the lack of access to reliable, expert guidance. While community-driven knowledge is invaluable, it is often based on local experience rather than data-driven insights.

Soil quality, microclimates, and environmental conditions can shift dramatically from one farm to the next, making generalised advice risky. The reality is clear: what works for one farm may fail on another. Without tailored recommendations, farmers remain vulnerable to suboptimal practices that hinder productivity.

A better way: Tech that works for farmers (not the other way around)

Technology alone won’t solve Indonesia’s agricultural productivity gap—but practical, localised innovation can play a key role. Solutions that combine field-level data, agronomic expertise, and real-time insights are starting to emerge across the country.

Tools such as weather monitors, soil analysers, and AI-driven advisory systems are helping farmers make more informed decisions, reduce guesswork, and improve yields without adding pressure to land or labour. Companies like DayaTani are exploring these opportunities by providing farmers with technologies that can provide personalised guidance that reflects local conditions, farming practices, and resource availability. 

The potential upside is significant: improved yields, reduced input costs, and greater resilience in the face of climate stress. But the path forward will require collaboration between agritech startups, research institutions, local governments, and the farming communities themselves.

—

Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

The post Revitalising Indonesian agriculture: Unlocking potential through practical technology innovation appeared first on e27.