Merauke Farmers Say Rice Prices Now Stable and on Par with Java

The rice field expansion and land optimisation programmes in Merauke Regency, South Papua, have received positive feedback from local farmers. The two programmes are said to have made rice prices more affordable and increased production, with prices now matching those on the island of Java. This was conveyed by Fransiskus Gebze, a farmer and customary landowner in Merauke Regency. He stated that both programmes have had a tangible impact on rice availability in Merauke, allowing the community to purchase rice at more affordable prices than before. “Once again I say the price of rice here is now the same as in Java. Why? Because grain production continues to increase as the land is expanded,” Fransiskus said in a statement released by the Ministry of Agriculture. Fransiskus added that the people of South Papua can now enjoy increasingly competitive rice prices that are approaching those in Java. For premium rice, the selling price is now around Rp15,000 per kilogram, down from the previous Rp20,000 per kilogram. “It is already the same as Java. And now the community is enjoying it,” he said. The rice field expansion and land optimisation programmes being continuously promoted by the government in Merauke are expected not only to increase national food production but also to strengthen food security in eastern Indonesia and maintain rice price stability for the public. “Once again I confirm that production in South Papua has increased and rice prices are stable, just like on the island of Java,” he concluded.