WAMENA, PAPUA PEGUNUNGAN – The Papua Pegunungan Provincial Government is strengthening the role of agricultural cooperatives to improve local economic opportunities and community welfare by helping farmers market their agricultural and plantation products across the province’s eight regencies.
Through the provincial Office of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, the government is supporting a cooperative operating in Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency, which collects locally produced commodities and helps connect farmers with broader markets.
The initiative aims to address a recurring challenge faced by local farmers, whose vegetables and other agricultural products sometimes remain unsold and ultimately go to waste.
Head of the Papua Pegunungan Office of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, Alpius Yigibalom, said the cooperative was established to help ensure that local agricultural products could be absorbed by the market rather than being discarded.
“Many people in the eight regencies sometimes bring their vegetables to the market to sell, but when they cannot sell them, the produce eventually gets thrown away. With this cooperative, we will collect these products in the future and then resell them or send them to other regions,” he said.
The cooperative has collected a range of commodities from local producers, including 1,749 kilograms of Arabica coffee, 976 kilograms of shallots from farmers in Tiom, Lanny Jaya Regency, and various other agricultural and plantation products.
Other commodities include 24 kilograms of garlic, 550 kilograms of locally produced rice, 32 trays of locally produced eggs, 150 kilograms of soybeans, more than 500 kilograms of corn, and 1,700 kilograms of marine fish.
The collection of these products is part of the provincial government’s efforts to strengthen local supply chains and expand market access for farmers. By improving the distribution of agricultural products, the cooperative is expected to help farmers reduce post-harvest losses and generate more reliable income.
Yigibalom described the initiative as an initial step toward strengthening the regional economy while creating greater economic opportunities for communities throughout Papua Pegunungan.
“This is the initial step we are taking to help improve the regional economy and encourage economic growth for communities in Papua Pegunungan,” he said.
He added that the cooperative was also expected to strengthen economic cooperation between regions across Papua by facilitating the distribution and marketing of locally produced commodities.
According to Yigibalom, the initiative supports the vision and mission of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Papua Pegunungan, particularly their efforts to strengthen the regional economy and improve public welfare.
“This cooperative is a major hope under the vision and mission of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Papua Pegunungan to improve the economy in this region and strengthen cooperation between regions in Papua,” he said.
To support its operations, the provincial government has provided approximately IDR 1 billion in initial funding. The funds are provided as a loan that the cooperative’s management is required to repay.
“We have provided an initial loan of approximately IDR 1 billion to help the management operate the Papua Pegunungan Provincial Cooperative. They will then work to develop the cooperative to support the regional economy and improve community welfare,” Yigibalom said.
The Papua Pegunungan Provincial Government hopes the cooperative will develop into a sustainable marketing channel for locally produced commodities. By improving market access and ensuring that more agricultural products are absorbed, the…
