Maros Targets IDR 53 Billion Investment to Boost Corn Industry from Gorontalo PENAS XVII
The participation of Maros Regency in the 17th National Farmers and Fishermen’s Week (PENAS) in Gorontalo has opened new opportunities for agricultural development. The momentum not only served as a forum for sharing innovation and technology but also paved the way for investment cooperation worth tens of billions of rupiah.
The Maros Regency Government is exploring a strategic partnership with PT Gorontalo Pangan Lestari (GPL Group) to develop a corn commodity ecosystem. The company has expressed readiness to invest an estimated IDR 53 billion with a processing capacity of 12,000 tonnes.
Maros Regent A.S. Chaidir Syam stated that the contingent’s presence at PENAS XVII delivered broader benefits beyond enhancing the capacity of farmers and fishers. According to him, the national forum served as a strategic space to showcase the region’s potential while building networks with various parties.
“Alhamdulillah, PENAS not only serves as a means of education and technology exchange for our farmers and fishers, but also as a space to open investment opportunities for Maros Regency,” Chaidir said on Saturday (20/6/2026).
Chaidir assessed that Gorontalo possesses strong experience in managing the corn commodity, from production to the supply chain. This experience is considered relevant for strengthening Maros’s agricultural sector.
The cooperation is directed towards building a more integrated corn ecosystem, offering several benefits for local farmers. These include providing market certainty through an offtaker scheme, ensuring that farmers’ corn production has a clear marketing destination. Furthermore, the investment is expected to create opportunities for increased productivity through the application of modern cultivation technology and agricultural mentoring.
Beyond the production sector, the Maros Regency Government is also targeting downstream strengthening through the construction of warehousing, distribution, and logistics networks capable of driving the regional economy.
Director of PT Serealia Agro Lestari, part of the GPL Group, Jasin Mohammad, said Maros has great potential to be developed as a new corn production centre in Eastern Indonesia. “This investment is not merely commodity trading activity, but about building a sustainable agricultural business ecosystem. With a processing capacity of up to 12,000 tonnes, we are optimistic we can provide added value for farmers,” he said.
Meanwhile, Head of the Maros Regency Investment, One-Stop Integrated Services and Manpower Office (DPMPTSP), Nuryadi, confirmed that the regional government is ready to oversee the investment realisation process. He stated that ease of service and administrative certainty are crucial to ensure the explored cooperation can be swiftly implemented.
“Our task is to ensure that incoming investments can run smoothly and deliver economic impact for the community. We will facilitate all administrative and licensing processes so that implementation proceeds quickly,” Nuryadi explained.
The Maros Regency Government hopes this cross-regional cooperation can be the first step in strengthening Maros’s position as a leading agricultural commodity-producing area, while improving farmers’ welfare through a more robust economic chain.