The Food Estates are set up across Indonesia to develop the country’s food production in a sustainable way. The North Sumatra Food Estate focuses on horticulture and works together with, among others, Wageningen University.

Joining us were representatives from the Humbang Hasundutan Regency government, Food Estate management, and IT Del University. The areas in Hutajulu (59 ha) and Ria-Ria (274 ha) are currently planted with a variety of crops, including potatoes, shallots, and chilli peppers. 

Local farmers are partnering with IT Del University and private companies. While the planting and harvesting are still done manually, there are plans to introduce new technologies to improve efficiency and boost production. In addition to horticulture, some farmers are also growing coffee and harvesting frankincense from the forests.

 

We continued to the Science Techno Park for Herbal and Horticulture Centre (STPH2C), covering 15 ha, managed by IT Del University and Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). Moving forward, STPH2C aims to collaborate with other universities, both from Indonesia and abroad. The core activities at STPH2C include research on herbal medicinal plants, horticulture, silvopasture (integration with livestock), and forest conservation. Currently, they are collecting nearly 400 types of herbal and medicinal plants from all over Indonesia to document and research their potential for broader use.

Our day concluded with a visit to IT Del University’s main campus, where we had the opportunity to meet with the rector and university staff.

Stay tuned for more highlights from our North Sumatra visit!