The market share of vegetable harvests belonging to Asep, a farmer from Indonesia’s Karawang district, West Java province, is no longer just neighbors and traditional markets, but also large supermarket chains that are partners of the Taiwan Technical Mission.

Karawang, West Java (Indonesia Window) – About five years ago, Asep, a farmer from Indonesia’s Karawang district, West Java province, could only harvest 200-300 kilograms of vegetables from his father’s 1,000 square meter agricultural land.

“The vegetables I grew were cauliflower, eggplant, and long beans. The planting was done in rotation, after every harvest season,” he has said recently, at the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) agricultural facility in Karawang, describing his story of struggling to improve his family’s economy by farming.

His harvest was then sent to the local traditional market, and some were bought by neighbors. However, he admitted that quite a few of the vegetables he marketed had to be thrown away because no buyers wanted to take home vegetables that did not look good.

Meanwhile, Asep also did not have a storage facility for his products that had not been absorbed by the market.

Nevertheless, Asep's fate slowly changed when the Taiwanese Technical Mission started an agricultural land development project in his area in 2018.

"In 2019, I worked at the TTM. My father was also part of the farmer group fostered by the TTM. I gained a lot of insight, and I was able to develop it on my father's farm," the junior high school graduate said.

With the knowledge and practices he gained while working at the TTM, as well as being a farmer fostered by this Taiwanese mission, Asep and his father can now harvest up to 1 to 1.5 tons of vegetables each season.

"The vegetables I grow are also premium. In addition to eggplant and cauliflower, I also produce red long beans and Taiwanese white bitter melon, which have a higher selling value than that of local vegetables. The price is also more stable," he said, adding that green bitter melon on the market is priced at 5,000-6,000 rupiahs per kilogram, while white bitter melon is priced at 10,000 rupiahs per kilogram.

With such varieties of vegetables, the market share for Asep's vegetable harvest is no longer just neighbors and traditional markets, but also supermarket chains that are partners of the Taiwan Technical Mission.

"Vegetables sent to supermarkets must be in accordance with their requests. So, the shape, size, and color must be taken into account. There are grade A and grade B. Grade A is sent to supermarkets, grade B is sold in the market," he explained.

According to the leader of the Taiwan Technical Mission to Indonesia, Dennis Kao, the Taiwan Technical Mission has different characteristics from other similar organizations.

"What distinguishes the TTM from others is that we 'accompany' farmers starting from seed production and sowing, land management which includes planting technology and preparation of agricultural materials such as fertilizers, harvesting with machines and labor, to storing the harvest and packaging agricultural products," he said on the same occasion in Karawang, West Java, recently.

After packing the harvest, he continued, the TTM also helps farmers distribute their agricultural products to a number of partner supermarkets, such as KEMCHICKS, PAPAYA Fresh Gallery, and YOGYA Group.

"The packaged vegetables have met the desired standards, both in quality and quantity per package," Dennis said, giving an example that each red okra packaged per 200 grams must have the same size, shape, and color.

Likewise, with other vegetables, such as asparagus, corn, local and Taiwanese luffa, eggplant, and green and white bitter melon.

Although Taiwan's agricultural mission in Karawang will end in December 2025, Dennis assured that the relationship with Indonesian farmers would continue.

"They also don't need to worry about the availability of Taiwanese vegetable seeds, because in Central Java province there are already shops that provide them," he noted.

Dennis hoped that the level of cooperation between the Taiwan Technical Mission and several parties in Indonesia can be increased to the ministerial level, so that more Indonesian farmers join this agricultural mission and feel the benefits from the economic and social aspects, as well as technology.

The Taiwan Technical Mission is part of the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), which is dedicated to improving socio-economic development, improving human resources, and promoting economic relations in various developing partner countries.

In addition to Karawang, the current working areas of ​​the Taiwan Technical Mission includes that in South Sulawesi province with a mission to develop rice fields and increase rice production, as well as that in North Sumatra province which focuses on garlic and shallots.

Reporting by Indonesia Window