"Indonesia and Malaysia have similarities in palms, durian and rice, palm oil in Indonesia, but low productivity, because the seeds used are not good, the seeds that people use fall from trees," said Prof Mohammad, in discussions with dozens of village heads and farmers in the cafe.
The visit of three professors to Aceh in a scientific visit was initiated by the Lhokseumawe and DeRe Indonesia Community Empowerment and Development Program (P3MD).
"I am glad when the government makes a massive palm oil rejuvenation program and maintains the quality of its seeds, the seeds must be taken in quality, it also makes Malaysian palm oil better," he explained.
Currently, Mohammad mentions Indonesia's oil palm area to 12 billion hectares. It is estimated to grow to 14 billion hectares. "If this is not well maintained, then the loss of land is wide, but the result is small," he said.
He compared the durians of Indonesia and Malaysia. Malaysia is known as Durian King. In Thailand, there are only four types of durian. In Indonesia, hundreds of species of durian, but nothing that the world knows.
"Durians must have limited qualities, to keep their quality tight, because different types, different treatment, important first, I think Indonesia can think of Malaysian or Thai style about this durian," he said.
The rice sector, he continued, the toughest challenge in Southeast Asia is that very few young people want to become farmers. In Malaysia, he continued, planting rice is no longer by planting. "It's because the number of farmers is very small, Malaysian farmers now how to sow, Sowing like that, you can imagine the quality," he said.
He hopes the government will focus on improving the quality of agricultural production with a technological approach. Otherwise, agricultural output will be minimal and the community will leave the farm.
"We have to think hard to improve the quality of this farm, I think the government should work together with the campus to improve this quality seriously," he concluded.
Other professors also gave a view on the comparison of agriculture in Indonesia and Malaysia. They invite the village head to keep coordinating with the campus, to overcome the pest problems faced by various commodities in the country.