Agricultural development continues to be confronted by a number of challenges, both internal and external, which are complicated and are correlated between one another. If the challenges can be overcame, it is certain that development of agriculture will produce better result that can be directly enjoyed by the farmers and their families.
From internal perspectives, the low productivity and quality of agriculture products are closely related to limited land being cultivated and lack of professionalism among agriculture operators.
As a forum for entrepreneurship and professional development, farmer organization have not been considered as needed by farmers as the farmers and their families have not really understood the benefit in developing the scale of their agriculture enterprise. Basically this situation as also related to the lack of attention from the local governments towards farmers development which actually may be undertaken through extension activities.
Educated youth groups with an agriculture education background are relatively in high number. These potential agriculture workers are indicated by many higher learning institutions with agriculture faculties and agricultural vocational schools in existence all over
For younger generation in general, agriculture is viewed as rough job and only filled by those with lower education. Hence agriculture activities have become less attractive, ugly and not promising from welfare point view. As consequences, farmers children are no longer interested in agriculture activities and agriculture works are carried out by older people with limited education.
From an external point of view, a number of obstacles are still confronting farmers /livestock farmers in carrying out their activities such as the factor of nature (uncertain weather and plant diseases and pest). And non natural factors (non agriculture policy).Uncertain weather due to global warming has resulted in natural disaster and the emergence of various pests and diseases on plant and animals. In the meantime, in providing of agriculture inputs and capita, agriculture enterprises are related to the policies in banking sector, trade and industry.
In transportation infrastructure, road, bridge, and water supply, farmers depend on policies on transportation and public work sector. Farmers and animal breeder is also charged with water retribution and various kind of other levies which make it hard for them in selling their products. All of these have caused our agriculture to be inefficient, high production cost and weak competitive-ness. As a consequence, farmer are easily tempted to sell their land to be converted into non agriculture uses. In this regard , it is fair to say that agriculture should be the focus of attention from the central and local government by integrating support from various sector
