Indonesia and China Forge Agricultural Cooperation in South Papua

Indonesia and China are continuing to explore opportunities for cooperation in the agricultural sector following a joint visit by the Indonesian Ministry of Transmigration and the Chinese Embassy to the transmigration development area in Salor, South Papua, earlier this week. According to an official statement from the Ministry, both nations plan to collaborate on building a rice research centre and an agricultural vocational school in Salor to support food self-sufficiency and improve the quality of education for the people of South Papua.

The transmigration area in Salor encompasses approximately 40,000 hectares of land and serves as one of the primary food production hubs in South Papua. With adequate technological and infrastructural support, the region is considered to have the potential to increase its contribution to national food security.

Both parties also discussed opportunities to develop supporting agricultural industries, including the potential construction of production facilities for agricultural machinery and equipment in Merauke. This follows feedback from the local government regarding the need for repair facilities for agricultural tools.

Salor in South Papua was the first stop in a joint itinerary involving the Ministry of Transmigration and the Chinese Embassy, which will also visit Raja Ampat in Southwest Papua, North Halmahera in North Maluku, and West Manggarai in East Nusa Tenggara. Beyond food security, the Ministry noted that this visit is part of an exploration into cooperation with China regarding poverty alleviation, vocational education, trade, investment, and tourism development. This agenda follows a previous initiative where the Ministry sent 36 participants, including officials and academics, to China to study Chinese experiences in transmigration area development and poverty reduction.