West Papua has potentials and hence prospects in its agricultural sector despite any constraints. Also, an improved agricultural sector ultimately will deliver benefits to other economic, social, and even environmental co-fields. Therefore, it requires recommended policies to accelerate the agricultural development in this most eastern island of Indonesia.
Agriculture Sector in West Papua before the COVID-19 Pandemic
Herman Supriadi, in his Strategi Kebijakan Pembangunan Pertanian di Papua Barat (2008), analyzed the agricultural sector in West Papua with all of its potentials and limitations. He also suggested several policy strategies to overcome any obstacles and accelerate the agricultural development in this region.
The limitations
Supriadi revealed several main internal obstacles: the lack of infrastructures (especially for transportation and irrigation networks), the inadequate human resources, the low-skilled human resources, the low agricultural investments, the low adoption of agricultural technologies, the slow growth of agro-industry, the shortage of port warehousing, and the unproductive marketing system.
Meanwhile, the external threats came from the effect of free trade and the competitiveness in economic globalization.
The Potentials
On the other hand, West Papua has abundant land resources, productive lands, the potential for agricultural purposes. They can change the above weaknesses into their strengths, such as the infrastructures and human resources. The government can encourage investment through export improvement and partnership patterns.
The proposed policy strategies
Supriadi proposed the following agricultural development policy strategies for the land of Papua:
- Intensify the production of estate crops and forest yields to seize more export opportunities through a partnership pattern program
- Improve the policies for extension systems, agricultural infrastructures, and export-import matters
- Implement and obey the conservation on land use and forest production
- Invite prospective investments and develop relevant transmigration to steadily solve the problems of the lack of skilled human resources
Agriculture Sector Proposed Policies during the Pandemic
We closed the year of 2019 with the saddened outbreak of the lethal COVID-19, in which Indonesia stated the first case of COVID-19 in March 2020. The pandemic has considerably affected human life, economically and non-economically. Agriculture is one of the sectors that suffered the most from the pandemic impact. This sector has been highly essential for food security for all the regions in this country, including West Papua.
The Technical Coordination Meeting (Rakortek) recently has prepared the 2021 Agricultural Development Planning. The general purpose is to overcome the existing situation and accelerate agricultural development. The government sets a goal of an advanced, independent, and modern agricultural sector (maju, mandiri, dan modern). Therefore, Rakortek has proposed four major programs and activities.
- Production and Productiveness: a) national movement to increase productivity, production, and export, b) increase in livestock population, c) development of agricultural, human resources, d) family farming and e) farming goes to school;
- Low-Cost Agriculture (Farming): a) facilitation of agricultural financing (low-interest KUR – People’s Business Credits/Loans), b) development of corporate-based areas, and c) agricultural assistance or subsidies on target;
- Mechanization and Research: a) developing and applying agricultural mechanization (pre-and post-harvest) and b) accelerating the utilization of technological innovations;
- Agricultural Expansion: a) land-use optimization, and b) water supply (irrigation, embung or retention basins, waterworks).
The above-suggested policies align with the policies recommended by Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Policy Recommendations on Agriculture Development and Investment in Indonesia for 2020–2045. The report is in partnership with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS), Republic of Indonesia.
Moreover, the Rakorket Planning has determined the priority locations for this agricultural development policy, namely:
- Areas of the farmer’s corporate location
- Commodity production centers based the decree of the minister of agriculture on national agricultural areas (Kepmentan No. 427 of 2018)
- Areas that have the Regional Regulation on Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B)
- Areas with a special assignment (DPK)
- Regencies (districts) and or cities in affirmation provinces (Papua and West Papua) and border areas
The Upcoming Agriculture Development Efforts in West Papua
The West Papua government has responded to the latest policies on agricultural development by organizing the Technical Coordination Meeting (Rakornis) of Agricultural Development, Horticultural Food, and Plantation Program in 2021.
The Rakornis consisted of three agendas, namely evaluating the implementation activities in the fiscal year of 2020, strengthening the implementation activities in 2021, and formulating the program planning activities in the near 2022.
The Governor of West Papua outlined some proposed implementation activities concerning the agricultural sector’s strategic role and food security in this region.
- Implementing activities or programs that touch the local people
- Empowering (coaching) the farmers
- Enhancing the productivity of strategic agricultural commodities
- Channeling the accessible supply chain of agricultural products to the consumers
- Opening investment opportunities for agricultural infrastructures
- Promoting the socialization of local non-rice commodities (sweet potatoes, cassava, sago, and keladi)
- Agricultural counselling to transfer new technology innovations
- Managing the supply chain of downstream agricultural products
In addition to the launch of the Millennial Farmers program, the local government also has committed to supporting the BPPSDMP action programs (The Agricultural Human Resource Extension and Development Agency).
The agriculture sector has entered the what-so-called 4.0 industrial era. It poses the increasing use of mechanization and digitalization. In addition to the potentials of natural wealth in West Papua, more qualified human resources also play a significant role as they are the main actor in agricultural development.
