Support Food Security, Amran Adds 30,000 Acres of Rice Fields in Papua

JAKARTA - Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Andi Amran Sulaiman will add a new rice paddies printing program in Papua as part of efforts to strengthen national food security. A total of 30,000 hectares of new rice fields will be built.

The plan was conveyed by Amran after holding a meeting with regional heads throughout Papua at the Ministry of Agriculture's Office, Jakarta, Thursday, June 11. During the meeting, various aspirations related to agricultural development were conveyed, ranging from land expansion, seed assistance to the needs of agricultural and irrigation tools.

Amran said the proposal to add new rice fields came from the local government in Boven Digoel, South Papua. According to him, the request arose after the community began to see the great potential for agricultural development in the area.

"Even earlier there was one from Boven Digul, near the border from South Papua, asking specifically, 'Mr. Minister, I want to add another 30 hectares'. Because the farmers have seen it there. Then the Governor of South Papua also did the same, asking 'Mr. Minister, can it not be added, not just rice but corn we need too'," said Amran, writing Friday, June 12.

In addition to expanding the rice fields, Amran continued, the local government also proposed corn seed assistance to support the diversification of food production in Papua.

Amran ensured that the Ministry of Agriculture would immediately follow up on the majority of the proposals submitted by regional heads. In fact, he opened the opportunity for all needs to be met if the development of the agricultural sector in Papua showed positive results.

"Today, we have almost 90 percent of all requests, and if the progress is good, we will fulfill 100 percent of the requests later, including coffee, nutmeg, cocoa, and so on. Now, we have asked the director general, the additional requests today will be fulfilled, implemented as soon as possible," he said.

To support the new rice paddy printing program, the Ministry of Agriculture will also send hundreds of tractors to Papua. The delivery of agricultural machinery is targeted to be carried out in the near future so that it can be immediately used in processing new land.

"God willing, this week we will send it, hopefully in 2 weeks, 3 weeks it will arrive there. The tractor is hundreds in total, yes, hundreds," said Amran.

He emphasized that the development of large-scale agriculture must be accompanied by the application of modern technology. According to him, the management of large agricultural land will not be effective if it still relies on manual methods.

"Every time we print rice fields, it is immediately followed by technology. Why? Because if the expanse of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands with cocoa, if manual is impossible, then the rice fields will not be worked on. So specifically rice fields must use modern, tractors, modern tools," he said.