President Invites Papuan Millennial Farmers to Become Agricultural Drivers

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SORONG — President Joko Widodo planted corn with farmers in Klamasen Village, Mariat District, Sorong Regency, West Papua, Monday (4/10).

The President was accompanied by the Chair of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo, Governor of West Papua, Dominggus Mandacan, and Sorong Regent, Johny Kamuru who planted corn on an 8-hectare land.

The President when delivering his press statement at the location said that West Papua Province has great potential as a major producer of agricultural commodities in Eastern Indonesia. To note, in West Papua there are 11 thousand hectares of corn land, 7 million hectares for food crops and horticulture.

“The land here is quite large but only 33 percent can be utilized at the maximum. That’s why I asked the Minister of Agriculture and the Governor of West Papua to increase production capacity,” said the President.

The President also asked to change the cropping system from one cropping a year to two or three times a year. According to him, this is so that food needs can be prepared from Papua’s own land.

“I also invite millennial farmers to be given the opportunity to be the driving force in this agricultural sector,” he added.

The President believes that if millennial farmers are given the trust they will be able to create food security, especially in West Papua. “I also saw the use of agricultural technology, then access to business capital will also be granted, the worm irrigation will be improved by the Ministry of Agriculture and also training related to agricultural technology,” said the President.

With that, the President hopes that there will be an increase in productivity, especially for the commodity planted today, namely corn, because the need for corn, both for food and animal feed, still requires additional.

To note, in 2020 Sorong Regency’s production reached 2,690 tons of dry milled grain equivalent to 1,543 tons of rice. As for corn, it is estimated that in 2020 it will be 775 tons.

Source: Republika