Indonesia–China Collaboration to Improve Merauke Rice Management
INFO TEMPO – Efforts to boost productivity and quality of rice in the Salor Transmigration Area, Merauke Regency, South Papua Province, were the focus of a meeting involving the Ministry of Transmigration, the local government, the China National Rice Research Institute (CNRRI), and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The meeting discussed a range of technical challenges from cultivation, strengthening irrigation systems, to the need for post-harvest technology to boost Merauke rice competitiveness.
Representing the Ministry of Transmigration, Dewi Nurini explained that the visit was a follow-up to the Indonesia–China research collaboration in agriculture. She said the collaboration is also connected to the Minister of Transmigration’s visit to China in 2025 aimed at strengthening rice production to support national food security.
Our purpose here is one action of the Minister of Transmigration’s visit to China in 2025, to support increased rice production in order to strengthen food security in Indonesia, especially in transmigration areas with agricultural development potential, namely the Salor Transmigration Area, said Dewi Nurini at a meeting held at the Office of the Regional Development Planning, Research and Innovation Agency of South Papua Province (BAPPERIDA PPS) in Merauke Regency, on Monday, 2 March 2026.
Meanwhile, Merauke’s regional government secretary, Jermias Paulus Ruben Ndiken, stressed the local government’s support for developing the agricultural sector, whilst maintaining a balance between rice cultivation and the preservation of Papua’s distinctive local commodities. “Okay, use this area for rice, but don’t forget to also plant sago, as that is part of Papuan traditional practices. It is part of customary traditions directing to plant sago,” he said.
From the potential side, the South Papua Province Government conveyed that total paddy field development in Merauke reaches around 81,000 hectares through land optimisation and the government’s ‘sawah rakyat’ (people’s paddy field) expansion programme. By 2025, harvested area increased by 68 percent, paddy and milled rice production rose by 66.4 percent, and the Cropping Intensity Index rose from 155 to 209.
Although Merauke currently experiences a rice surplus, challenges remain in downstream processing. The main constraints include limited drying facilities (dryers), Rice Milling Units (RMU), silos, and adequately equipped storage facilities.
A representative from CNRRI, Zhonghua Sheng, assessed that raising rice productivity requires a more standardised management approach. He stressed the importance of implementing Standard Operating Procedures in the farming process through to the processing of harvest results.
Through this meeting, the parties committed to strengthening rice research and development in a sustainable manner. The programme places local communities, especially Indigenous Papuans, as the main actors in developing smallholder paddy fields, while boosting human resource capacity through education and training.
The Indonesia–China collaboration is not only aimed at increasing production but also at improving management and strengthening downstream processing. With these steps, Merauke rice is expected to have consistent quality, more efficient processing, and access to wider markets, including exports.