RI prepares plantation downstreaming plan in Central Papua

Nabire, C. Papua (ANTARA) - The Agriculture Ministry is preparing a downstreaming initiative for high-value plantation commodities in Nabire Regency, aiming to transform Central Papua into an economic powerhouse through localized agricultural processing.

The project, targeting coconut, coffee, cocoa, and sago crops, is set to make Nabire home to the most comprehensive plantation development program in the Greater Papua region this year.

"In Nabire, we are developing 100 hectares of coconut plantations, 3,000 hectares of cocoa and coffee plantations, including sago cultivation. This program is part of the downstream development program directed by President Prabowo Subianto," the ministry's Director General of Plantations Ali Jamil Harahap said here on Tuesday.

He explained that the government has commenced efforts to strengthen the upstream sector by preparing and distributing high-quality crop seedlings.

For the coconut sector, the ministry is developing a 100-hectare plantation area requiring approximately 11,000 seedlings, supplemented by a 2,000-seedling reserve, bringing the total readiness target to 13,000 seedlings before cultivation begins.

"One hectare of coconut plantations requires around 110 coconut trees. Therefore, we have inspected the coconut nursery and ensured that at least 13,000 seedlings must be prepared," Harahap noted.

In addition to coconut cultivation, the ministry is establishing a specialized coffee nursery to support commodity expansion in Central Papua.

Ali emphasized that a robust upstream sector is an absolute prerequisite for successful downstreaming, as processing facilities require a sustainable supply of raw materials.

"If raw materials are available, they can be processed into value-added products like coconut oil and various other processed products that command a higher selling price," he added.

The ministry is also encouraging local community involvement across all operational stages, from nursery management to planting, to ensure the initiative generates new jobs in the region.

Furthermore, the central government pledged to resolve local bottlenecks, including access to subsidized fertilizer and accelerating nursery infrastructure construction.

The regional administration has warmly welcomed the ministry's strategic intervention.

Nabire Deputy Regent Burhanuddin Pawennari noted that such an initiative will strengthen localized production and elevate community welfare.

He further urged the local residents to maintain a stable security environment to ensure the agricultural rollouts proceed without delay.

"The government hopes that the entire planting process can be completed on time so it can bring immediate benefits to the farmers,” Pawennari concluded.

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Translator: Ali Nur Ichsan, Yashinta Difa

Editor: Arie Novarina

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