Agriculture Minister gathers Papua regional heads to strengthen farming and plantations

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman gathered regional heads from across Tanah Papua to strengthen agricultural and plantation development, whilst accelerating food self-sufficiency and improving community welfare in eastern Indonesia. “Our dream is for food to be fulfilled in Papua. Whether it is cassava, rice, or sago. Everything should be met. There should be no need to take from Sulawesi or Java. Why? Because the transport costs are borne by the community there, likewise for Kalimantan, Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, and West Nusa Tenggara,” said the Agriculture Minister in Jakarta on Thursday. During the Papua Region Agricultural Development Consolidation Meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture office in Jakarta, Amran stressed that agricultural sector development in Papua is a crucial part of the national food self-sufficiency programme championed sustainably by President Prabowo Subianto. According to Amran, the government is committed to building from the periphery so that all regions, including Papua, can grow together through strengthening food production, plantations, and the welfare of local farmers. The government is also providing support in the form of tractors, irrigation repairs, and agricultural modernisation to increase land productivity and reduce post-harvest losses that have occurred to date.