Millennials are getting coaxed into the gruelling world of Indonesian farming

A student learning how to transplant plants at a farm school in Banda Aceh. The school specialises in agricultural education for aspiring young farmers, including how to process feed and fertiliser for agriculture and livestock, as well as growing various types of fruits and vegetables. - AFP

JAKARTA (Bloomberg): When Indonesia unveiled a plan to turn 2.5 million millennials into farmers within five years, it was a big ask. Success would mean reversing a global trend where tech-savvy youngsters were being lured away from rural areas to exciting startups and city jobs. So far, the results are encouraging.

Despite a tropical climate and some of the largest swathes of fertile land in South-East Asia, the country’s farms often lack the capital, expertise and technology to run efficiently.