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NDONESIA: Indonesia and Australia will celebrate 30 years of agricultural innovation through research partnerships to deliver food security and poverty alleviation.

The two countries began agricultural research cooperation in 1983 through projects funded by the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty said on Monday that Australia was committed to assisting Indonesia achieve sustainable food security and poverty reduction in rural areas.

'Through the ACIAR-Indonesian partnership, the agricultural industry has created opportunities for the smallholder farmers to share the country's economic growth in recent years,' he said in a release sent to The Jakarta Post on Monday.

The Australian government will provide around A$650 million (Rp 6.2 trillion) in official development assistance in 2013-1024. ACIAR-Indonesia research partnerships are creating opportunities for poor farmers in livestock, cropping, fisheries and forestry industries, and building capacity in areas of emerging challenges such as climate change and bird flu.