Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia is strengthening agricultural cooperation with Australia to develop modern irrigation in the Dadahup rice-growing area of Central Kalimantan, aiming to boost productivity and national food security.“This collaboration is a strategic step to increase swamp-land productivity and strengthen food security through modern technology and water management,” Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said Tuesday.The cooperation was reaffirmed during a bilateral meeting between Sulaiman and Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Rod Brazier in Jakarta.Australia will support Indonesia through the Australian Water Partnership (AWP), which facilitated an expert mission to Dadahup.Sulaiman said findings from Australian experts reinforced confidence that Dadahup could become a model for modern swamp agriculture in Indonesia.“The study indicates Dadahup has strong potential to become a model for modern swamp agriculture. Its recommendations align with Indonesia’s priorities to raise the Cropping Index (IP) 300 and strengthen food security,” he said.To accelerate implementation, Indonesia is promoting five strategic steps, including establishing a Joint Technical Working Group and developing a Dadahup Integrated Water Management Master Plan and Roadmap.The government also plans to strengthen farmer-led water management and build human-resource capacity through digital technologies such as telemetry, remote sensing and decision-support systems.The meeting also produced a commitment to strengthen agricultural trade between Indonesia and Australia, alongside discussions on Dadahup’s development.In livestock, Sulaiman asked Australia to support the availability of live cattle supplies to Indonesia to meet domestic demand.The two countries also agreed to expand cooperation in investment, research, innovation, human-resource development and fertilizer supply to support resilient and sustainable agriculture.Brazier conveyed Australia’s readiness to follow up on discussions with Indonesia’s Agriculture Ministry.Brazier said Australian experts had submitted their final Dadahup report to the agriculture minister as a basis for determining the area’s future development.“We hope this report can help Indonesia increase Dadahup’s productivity and make it a model for modern swamp farming,” he said.