<p class="A04-abstrak2">The Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD) has created various technology packages, significantly superior rice varieties with high yields and resistance to various pests and diseases. Since 1943 hundreds of superior varieties of rice have been released. However, domestic rice production has yet to be able to meet the national rice needs. One of the main problems is the decrease in fertile land due to continuous land conversion. Hence, the mainstay in increasing rice production is to escalate productivity through technological improvements. Therefore, IAARD continues to create new high-yielding rice varieties through plant breeding. More than 200 high-yielding varieties of rice have been produced to meet the challenge of increasing productivity. This paper aims to examine the historical profile of the creation of superior rice varieties in line with intensification programs and their role in increasing national rice production. The study was conducted using a desk study approach by examining secondary data and literature from various publications. The study results showed that creating high-yielding varieties accompanied by various intensification programs had increased rice productivity sustainably. The challenge for IAARD is the creation of new high-yielding varieties with higher yields than those currently available.</p>

<p>The livelihood of the people who live in underdeveloped regions mostly depends on the natural resources-based economy, both in the agricultural, industrial, and other potential resource utilization sectors that have not been managed optimally. The agriculture sector is still the primary source of income for those living in disadvantaged regions. Most farmers have low agricultural knowledge and skills. Facilitating policies and funding are needed to improve the economy in those areas. Another problem is the low quality of human resources, especially farmers and their groups, who are the main drivers of agricultural development in their area. Strengthening the capacity of farmers is also one of the essential policies. The study aims to analyze the capacity building of farmers and farmer groups. The method used in the study is a review of various references. Although government support in funding and facilitation is needed, government support should not create dependence on farmers. Instead, it should make farmers independent. Soft loans with simple procedures are believed to be more educated than providing free input assistance. The government should also prioritize counselling and mentoring to improve the capacity of farmers. Training of trainers for extension workers should be conducted regularly to update knowledge and improve competence, so they can transfer the latest knowledge and skills to farmers. Good knowledge and skills and high capacity can create strong and independent farmers. In turn, they can become productive rural economic actors.</p>