Transforming Merauke into a Rice Bowl: Thousands of Hectares Converted to Paddy Fields

Papua has long been associated with sago as a primary carbohydrate source for its people. However, Merauke is now becoming the centre of a rice paddy printing programme, evidenced by the large portion of agricultural projects entering the region. During a rice planting event in Semangga District, Merauke, South Papua, on Saturday, South Papua Governor Apolo Safanpo revealed that of the total 84,000 hectares of new paddy fields developed across Tanah Papua, 48,000 hectares are located in Merauke Regency. This means more than half of the paddy field printing programme in Papua is concentrated in this area. “It turns out that of the 84,000 hectares of paddy field printing that has been carried out across Tanah Papua, 48,000 hectares are in Merauke Regency, South Papua Province,” Apolo stated. Beyond the creation of new paddy fields, the concentration of programmes in Merauke is also evident in land optimisation efforts. Of the total 54,000 hectares of land optimisation implemented across Tanah Papua from 2024 to 2026, 53,000 hectares are located in Merauke Regency. “So, more than 50 per cent of the paddy field printing carried out across Tanah Papua is in Merauke Regency, South Papua Province. That is for the paddy field printing,” he explained. “Meanwhile, for land optimisation, which has been carried out since 2024, 2025, and 2026 across Tanah Papua, the total is 54,000 hectares. And it turns out that of that 54,000 hectares, 53,000 hectares are in Merauke Regency, South Papua Province,” he continued. According to Apolo, these figures show that Merauke has become the main point for food production development in Papua. “So, almost 99 per cent of the land optimisation programme in Tanah Papua is located in Merauke Regency,” he added. He expressed hope that the central government’s significant attention to Merauke would boost economic growth and strengthen food production, not only for South Papua but also for the wider Papua region. “Hopefully, the attention from the government and the state to South Papua Province, specifically Merauke Regency, will provide optimal benefits for economic growth, especially for food production. We could even become a rice exporter for the Papua region and for Indonesia in the future,” Apolo said. Merauke Regent Yoseph Bladib Gebze echoed this sentiment, stating that the regency has ample room for agricultural expansion. Of Merauke’s total area of 4.6 million hectares, around 1.2 million hectares are slated to be developed into productive agricultural land. “Specifically in agriculture, based on the data we have, our agricultural land in Merauke Regency is very extensive. Of the 4.6 million hectares we have, 1.2 million hectares will be cultivated as productive agricultural land,” Yoseph said. He explained that the community paddy field printing and land optimisation programmes, which began last year, have now entered the planting phase. Of the total 17,000 hectares of land being worked on, 3,000 hectares were planted last year. This year, the additional planting area and rice production are targeted to increase further. According to Yoseph, 12 districts in Merauke are currently implementing the community paddy field printing and land optimisation programmes. With the additional planting area, Merauke’s agricultural production is projected to surge dramatically. “There are 12 districts in Merauke Regency currently implementing community paddy field printing and land optimisation, so if we calculate it, our agricultural production in Merauke Regency will increase not just by 100 per cent, but by up to 300 per cent,” he said. He stressed that the local government aims to make Merauke a food barn for eastern Indonesia. To support this target, the Merauke Regency Government is also proposing additional post-harvest facilities such as rice milling units and dryers to ensure that increased production is matched by better harvest quality. “We will continuously implement this programme for the welfare of the people in Merauke Regency, South Papua Province, but also to achieve the target of the Republic of Indonesia’s government to make Merauke a food barn in the eastern region of Indonesia,” he concluded.