MEGAMENDUNG - The Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT), Yandri Susanto, held an interactive dialogue with local farmers, Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes) managers, and residents of Megamendung Village, Megamendung District, Bogor Regency, on Friday (September 11, 2026).

During the meeting, Minister Yandri listened directly to the operational challenges faced by coffee growers in the Megamendung area.

Minister Yandri recommended crop revitalization for Megamendung’s coffee plantations to optimize yield and productivity.

"I propose that while coffee remains our primary focus here, farmers adopt intercropping (tumpang sari) practices by introducing cash crops such as ginger or lemongrass," Minister Yandri stated.

He explained that intercropping allows farmers to generate secondary income streams rather than relying solely on periodic coffee harvests.

The proposed agricultural strategy also incorporates timber and fruit-bearing trees, including bamboo, stinky beans (pete), and dogfruit (jengkol).

"Our goal is to structure agricultural practices that boost community income while simultaneously enhancing environmental conservation and delivering maximum benefits to the village," Minister Yandri noted.

To support this initiative, Minister Yandri committed to coordinating with key stakeholders, including the Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, and state forestry enterprise Perhutani.

He highlighted that Megamendung Village possesses the potential to be developed into an Eco-Tourism Village (Desa Wisata), where visitors can pick coffee, enjoy local brews, and access scenic photo spots without compromising the surrounding ecosystem.

Addressing key agricultural challenges—such as the high cost of liquid fertilizers—Minister Yandri affirmed that solutions would be channeled through Kemendes PDT’s priority initiatives.

"We manage the Green Economy Self-Sufficiency and Integrated Food Security (SEHATI) program. We will extend affirmative funding to this area, including support for eco-friendly infrastructure," Minister Yandri stated.

The SEHATI initiative is executed in collaboration with the World Bank, aiming to provide financial allocations of up to IDR 2.5 billion per village across 10,000 targeted villages.

To resolve fertilizer availability issues, Kemendes PDT will mobilize nearby BUMDes units capable of producing organic and liquid fertilizers, thereby stimulating local economic circulation within the Megamendung corridor.

"Marketing and off-take channels will also be secured through our Export Village (Desa Ekspor) framework. Villages are directed to fulfill domestic demand while expanding into export markets," Minister Yandri added.

Kemendes PDT has currently secured export supply chains to 49 destination countries for village-made products distributed through BUMDes.

Accompanying Minister Yandri during the dialogue was the Director General of Village Economic Development and Investment, Tabrani.

Photo: Angga/Kemendes PDT 
Text: Firman/Kemendes PDT