By: Dhita Karuniawati )*
President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto believes that Indonesia can achieve food self-sufficiency or independence in meeting food needs for its people in the next 4-5 years at the latest. In fact, Indonesia is ready to become the world’s food barn. The government of President Prabowo and Vice President Gibran is currently focusing on building a national food barn program in the Papua region. Merauke Regency, South Papua is the main location to realize the national food barn program of President Prabowo’s government in order to achieve food self-sufficiency according to the target. This proves the government’s high commitment to developing the Papua region.
Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) said that the future of Indonesian agriculture is in Papua. This is in line with the ideals of the 8th President Prabowo Subianto who wants Indonesia to become a self-sufficient country in food. To create food self-sufficiency, the Papua region is considered suitable for the agricultural sector. This is because Java Island continues to experience land subsidence. The government is currently very serious about developing the agricultural sector in Papua. With that, Indonesia is expected to have 2 million hectares of rice fields in Papua in the next five years.
Papuan Youth Figure, Paulinus Ohee also provided support for the government’s commitment to realizing a national food barn in Papua.
Paulinus Ohee said that his party supports the government’s commitment to making Papua a national food barn, because it has the main goal of developing the agricultural sector, modernizing agriculture, and developing agricultural land.
According to him, as Papuans like in Merauke, we must realize and synergize with the government’s commitment to build Papua, especially the national food barn. This is for the availability of food and our national readiness to supply all regions, especially those in Indonesia.
The Papuan people hope that Merauke will be a place that becomes one of the national food barns. This can certainly increase food production, achieve food self-sufficiency, and open up job opportunities. These three things are expected to be supported by all Papuan people so that it makes it easier for the government to realize it.
The central government’s commitment to building a national food barn in Papua brings great hope to the Papuan people. This is because the benefits will be felt significantly for the welfare of the community and the progress of the Papua region.
Similarly, South Papua Community Leader, John Gluba Gebze, emphasized his support for the National Strategic Project (PSN) for Food in Merauke as a real step to improve the welfare of the people of South Papua.
John Gluba Gebze, said that the food barn program initiated by President Prabowo Subianto is not just a central government agenda, but a joint effort to encourage the economic welfare of the people of South Papua. According to him, this program transforms idle land into productive land while still respecting local wisdom and customary land ownership.
John Gluba Gebze also emphasized that the success of this program will open up jobs, increase community income, and encourage young people in South Papua to be more active in working the land with modern technology. This is not just about rice, but about how we build a strong and sustainable local economy.
The government’s commitment to realizing Papua as a national food barn supported by adequate modern infrastructure and equipment increases people’s optimism towards the progress of the agricultural sector in their region. The food self-sufficiency program initiated by the government is expected to continue to increase national food production and improve the welfare of farmers in Eastern Indonesia, especially Papua. Therefore, all elements of society, especially in Papua, need to support the Prabowo-Gibran Government which has committed to building Papua as a pillar of the national food barn for the benefit of the nation.
*) The author is a Contributor to the Indonesian Strategic Information Study Institute