BANTAENG in South Sulawesi is one district that has managed to get itself delisted from Indonesia’s roster of backward areas, thanks to its agribusiness. Enabling factors include high-yield seeds that thrive on the local topography, bountiful harvests that create markets and infrastructure development that has led to sound business regulations. Bantaeng has received quite a few awards for its efforts, the latest being the 2012 Autonomy Award. Who are the ‘brains’ behind this transformation? Tempo journalist Syari Fani and photographer Kink Kusuma Rein report on the area’s agricultural activities, on the occasion of the National Farmers Day on September 24.