Agriculture Minister Requests BRMP to Strengthen Food Self-Sufficiency in Eastern Indonesia
Jakarta — The Agriculture Minister (Mentan) Andi Amran Sulaiman has requested the Board of Agricultural Assembly and Modernisation (BRMP) strengthen its strategic role in promoting food self-sufficiency, particularly in the eastern Indonesia region.
“We want Papua to be self-sufficient in food. That is our dream. We begin with South Papua, Central Papua, Southwest Papua—all must stand up and move forward,” the Agriculture Minister stated in a statement in Jakarta on Monday.
The government targets a significant increase in rice cultivation area (LT) across the Papua region to strengthen rice production and reduce dependence on supplies from outside the area. Beyond rice, development of coffee, cocoa, and other strategic crops will also form part of the food self-sufficiency acceleration programme based on local potential.
The initiative is expected to establish new centres of economic growth whilst improving the welfare of farmers in eastern Indonesia.
The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) is strengthening governance and effective implementation of strategic programmes through centralised coordination at BRMP provincial level. This framework ensures all operations, performance, and oversight of agricultural programmes in the regions operate in an integrated, measurable, and accountable manner.
The policy represents a firm step to ensure effective implementation of all programme achievements, from rice field creation, land optimisation (oplah), additional cultivation area (LTT), to distribution of agricultural machinery and equipment (alsintan), based on meritocracy.
Through this centralised coordination, all field agricultural extension workers (PPL) operationally fall within the BRMP provincial coordination system, whilst administration remains managed by BPPSDMP. This ensures field programme control is more directed and aligned with national targets.
All programme approvals and budgeting in the region must pass through the BRMP provincial coordination mechanism before being submitted to the central level. This framework is expected to strengthen agriculture’s position in cross-sectoral coordination with regional governments.
“We want agriculture to be honourable. Not to be honoured personally, but so collaboration with governors and regents runs strong and equally. All programmes must be coordinated and responsibility clearly defined,” the Agriculture Minister said.