Beyond Seeds, South Sulawesi Implements Rp3.7 Trillion Project for Regional Economy

The South Sulawesi Provincial Government is not only distributing seed aid to maintain food security but also rolling out a major infrastructure project to drive regional economic growth. Through the Multiyears Project (MYP) scheme, the provincial government has allocated around Rp3.7 trillion for the development of strategic infrastructure to be implemented gradually over the coming years. South Sulawesi’s Regional Secretary, Jufri Rahman, stated that the programme serves as a backbone of integrated regional development policies with the agriculture and community economy sectors. “These programmes are expected to enhance community economic resilience and expand access to basic services,” Jufri said in his statement in Makassar on Monday. According to him, infrastructure development cannot be separated from efforts to strengthen productive sectors such as agriculture, plantations, and food distribution. Besides the infrastructure project, the South Sulawesi Provincial Government is also distributing large-scale seed aid through the Mandiri Benih Programme for 2026. A total of 2,300 tonnes of rice seeds are prepared to be sown on 92,300 hectares of land spread across various regions in South Sulawesi. The aid aims to maintain food production stability while improving farmer welfare amid climate change challenges and commodity price fluctuations. Compared to the previous year, the amount of seed aid has indeed decreased from 5,000 tonnes to 2,300 tonnes in 2026. However, the local government emphasises that efficiency and equitable distribution are the main considerations in this year’s aid allocation.