JAYAPURA, PAPUA – The Papua Provincial Government continues to encourage the increase in food production by expanding rice fields as well as optimizing agricultural land that has not been productive so far.
Governor of Papua Matthew D. Fakhiri said, the Papua Provincial Government targets the opening of around 6,500 hectares of new rice fields until the end of 2026. The program will be accompanied by the rehabilitation of a number of rice fields that have not been used for a long time.
“At the end of this year we are opening 6,500 rice fields, plus some rehabilitation of rice fields that have slept,” said Fakhiri in Jayapura, Friday.
According to him, the addition of agricultural land is one of the strategic steps to increase rice production as well as support government programs in the food security sector.
The effort is considered to be more potential because the rice productivity in a number of Papua regions has shown positive results. Currently, the average rice production in Papua is said to have reached more than eight tons per hectare.
In fact, a number of regions are able to record higher productivity. Keerom Regency, for example, is able to produce around 12.8 tons of rice per hectare.
“Papua Province is now ahead, which is 12.8 tons we have produced. Therefore, the increase in rice productivity is expected to encourage the growth of the agricultural and plantation sectors so that the Papuan economy does not only depend on the mining sector,” he said.
In addition to expanding rice fields, the Papua Provincial Government also encourages an increase in planting intensity by strengthening agricultural infrastructure support, especially irrigation and the availability of water pumps.
Fakhiri said, the government does not target a planting pattern that is too high for farmers, but encourages that the available land can be used optimally so that farmers are able to harvest up to three times a year.
“We do not ask for four plantings, but three times is enough. So that Papua Province can harvest three times,” he said.
According to him, the increase in productivity and planting intensity is expected to not only meet the rice needs of the people in the coastal area, but also to strengthen the food distribution to the mountainous area of Papua.
With the opening of new rice fields, the rehabilitation of sleeping land, as well as the support of irrigation and water pumps, the Papua Provincial Government hopes that the agricultural sector will grow and be able to become one of the drivers of the regional economy. The step is also directed to strengthen Papua’s food independence and reduce dependence on supplies from outside the region.
