Agriculture Day in Indonesia Date in the current year: June 21, 2024

Indonesia is one of the world’s major agricultural nations. Despite the recent rise of the industrial and tertiary sector, agriculture remains one of the key sectors of the economy of Indonesia and contributes approximately 15% to the country’s GPD. Farming is a vital source of income for most Indonesian households.

Agricultural lands account for 30% of Indonesia’s land area; they can be divided into two main types: large plantations and small farms. Plantations are owned by state or private companies, while small farms are typically family owned and run.

Indonesia’s tropical climate with its abundant sunshine and rainfall allows Indonesian farmers to grow a wide range of crops. Indonesia is one of the world’s largest producers of cassava, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, coconut oil, coffee, natural rubber, nutmeg, palm oil, tea, tobacco, and vanilla. Other important crops produced in Indonesia include avocado, banana, beans, cabbage, cashew, chili pepper, corn, cucumber, eggplant, ginger, leeks, mango, onion, orange, papaya, pineapple, potato, soy, sugar cane, sweet potato, and tomatoes.

Agricultural commodities such as coconut oil, palm oil, rubber, coffee, tea, and tobacco are primarily produced by large plantations, whereas the bulk of fruits and vegetables for internal consumption are supplied by local farms run by traditional households. Small-scale farmers also produce most of corn, rise and soybeans consumed in Indonesia.

Livestock farming is less developed in Indonesia than crop farming, but it’s not completely non-existent. Indonesian farmers raise chicken, sheep, goats and cattle (buffaloes, meat and dairy cows), and non-Muslim farmers may breed pigs. Seafood production (both capture of wild fish and aquaculture) also plays an important role in Indonesia’s agricultural sector.

Agriculture Day is celebrated on June 21 for two reasons. First, this is the day of the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, where most of Indonesia is situated, and the end of the harvest season for some crops, which makes it the perfect day to express gratitude for this year’s harvest. Second, it marks the end of the old agricultural year and the beginning of the new one according to Pranata Mangsa, a traditional Javanese calendrical system used historically by local peasants.

Agriculture Day has roots in traditional thanksgiving ceremonies, but in modern Indonesia, it is considered a day of appreciation for all people who work in the agricultural sector and contribute to its development – and these people account for more than 40% of Indonesia’s labor force.

Agriculture Day isn’t the only holiday celebrating Indonesia’s agricultural sector. National Farmers’ Day, observed annually on September 24, commemorates the promulgation of the Agrarian Basics Act and highlights the contribution of farmers to the country’s economy.