WAMENA – The Jayawijaya Regency Government continues to promote the development of downstream processing of priority plantation commodities as a strategy to strengthen regional economic growth and improve community welfare. This step is considered in line with the national agenda of strengthening the value-added agriculture and plantation sectors.
Jayawijaya Regent Atenius Murib emphasized that downstreaming is a primary focus for the regional government after attending a coordination meeting in Jakarta to accelerate the downstreaming of priority plantation commodities held by the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture. The meeting discussed policy directions and concrete steps to accelerate the processing of superior commodities to achieve higher added value.
“For the regional government, this activity is a strategic step in supporting the achievement of the President of the Republic of Indonesia’s Asta Cita through strengthening the national plantation sector, which we will carry out in the Papua Highlands, especially Jayawijaya,” said Atenius Murib.
According to him, downstreaming is not merely a plantation processing program, but rather a comprehensive effort to increase the added value of local products, expand employment opportunities, and strengthen regional and national economic resilience. With more optimal processing, plantation commodities currently sold in their raw form are expected to be processed into semi-finished and finished products with greater competitiveness.
“This meeting emphasized the importance of concrete steps to increase added value, expand employment opportunities, and strengthen regional and national economic resilience,” he said.
Atenius added that the potential for plantation commodities in Jayawijaya is vast, spread across 328 villages in 40 districts. If optimally managed through a downstream approach, this potential is believed to be capable of driving the economy of communities in the mountainous region of Papua.
“Downstreaming will not only drive economic growth but also open up new opportunities for improving people’s welfare,” he said.
He further emphasized the importance of synergy between the central and regional governments in accelerating the downstreaming program. Policy support, technical assistance, and access to capital and markets are crucial factors in enabling farmers and plantation businesses to transform from mere raw material producers to local commodity-based industry players.
“With the central government’s support through the downstreaming program, we hope that community plantation products will not only be sold raw but can also be processed to provide greater added value for farmers,” said Atenius.
Strong collaboration between the central and regional governments will accelerate the downstreaming of plantations based on local potential. This step will not only strengthen the regional economic structure but also ensure that added value is enjoyed within the region, thereby sustainably increasing the income and well-being of the people of Highland Papua.