Nabire – The Nabire Regency Government, through its Agriculture Office, continues to expand sweet potato cultivation as one of the region’s leading food commodities to support the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program while improving the welfare of local farmers.
Head of the Nabire Agriculture Office, Sumardi, explained that sweet potatoes were selected because of their high nutritional value, ease of cultivation, and strong market potential driven by the food supply requirements of the MBG Program.
According to him, the initiative is being implemented through the Nabire Superior and Sustainable Sweet Potato Commodity Program (Kasuari Utan), which focuses on enhancing farmers’ capacity through training, technical assistance, and the development of sustainable cultivation practices.
Currently, six farmer groups in West Nabire and Nabire Town have received intensive guidance and support. In addition, the Agriculture Office has established partnerships with seven Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG) to ensure that locally harvested sweet potatoes can be supplied as a carbohydrate source for meals provided under the MBG Program.
Sumardi emphasized that sweet potato cultivation centers will continue to be expanded based on each area’s agricultural potential. The program is also designed to empower Indigenous Papuan farmers, enabling local communities to directly benefit from the economic opportunities created by the initiative.
Beyond its high nutritional value, sweet potato is considered an environmentally friendly crop because it can be cultivated with minimal reliance on chemical fertilizers, contributing to the production of healthy and sustainable food.
Meanwhile, Nabire Deputy Regent Burhanuddin Pawennari expressed the local government’s full support for the Kasuari Utan Program. He stated that sweet potato development not only strengthens regional food security but also increases the economic value of a local commodity that has long been an integral part of Papuan culture.
He expressed hope that the program would create broader economic opportunities for farmers, enhance regional food self-sufficiency, and ensure that the raw material requirements of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program can be fulfilled through locally produced agricultural commodities from Nabire.
