TEMPO.CO, Sorong - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said West Papua has great potential to be developed as a major producer of agricultural commodities in Eastern Indonesia.

“There are 11,000 hectares of corn plants throughout the province and 7,000,000 hectares of food crops and horticulture,” he said during a working visit in Sorong, Monday, October 4.

Accompanied by the House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Puan Maharani and Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo as well as other relevant officials, the President joined planting corn in Klamesen Village, Sorong Regency.

“The lands are vast, but only 33 percent are utilized,” he said.

He then asked the Agriculture Minister and West Papua Governor Dominggus Mandacan to increase agricultural productivity in Sorong and all districts in the province.

“In order to increase production capacity, change the planting system from once a year to 2 or 3 times a year,” he remarked, adding that the effort is necessary to meet the needs of food in Papua.

He also called on millennial farmers to become the driving force in the agricultural sector. “The Minister of Agriculture has trained as many as 800 farmers. We are targeting the number to reach approximately 2,000,” the state head said.

Jokowi believed that if millennial farmers are given the trust to take part in the sector, the country especially West Papua could achieve food security.

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ANTARA