West Papua is one of Indonesia’s provinces rich in agricultural and plantation products. West Papua Plantation Products has penetrated the export market.
With sound processing and government assistance, the following Plantation Products have entered the international market :
Arabica Coffee
Drinking coffee has not become a daily culture for local people, especially in the West Papua region. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find Manokwari cafes or coffee shops. Arabica coffee is one of the most popular West Papua Plantation Products.
Some types of coffee can be enjoyed as West Papua’s best Plantation Product. One is “Kopi Senang”, which is typical of West Papua. This Manokwari coffee is produced in Sorong, which is on the opposite side of the bird’s head of Papua Island to the capital city of West Papua.
Even though it is not produced directly from Papua, the producers of Kopi Senang take raw coffee beans from various regions in Indonesia.
This blend of several types of coffee makes the taste of coffee unique. This type of coffee can vary, especially for those just learning to enjoy coffee.
Cocoa
The skilled hands of a workforce cultivate the exported cocoa, most of whom are native to West Papua. Every morning, a truck picks up the workers from the centre of the South Manokwari district to take them to the cocoa plantation area of the Ebier Suth cooperative.
The name “Ebier Suth” was given because the phrase from the language of the Sougb tribe, the indigenous people of South Manokwari, means “reviving”. Although productivity is not as great as it used to be, Ebier Suth is disciplined in maintaining the quality and taste of cocoa beans.
In the city, we can see a lot of chocolate sold in elegant cans. But, of course, it is the West Papua Plantation Products that has penetrated the international market.
Rubber
The Rubber plants have been developed in several areas in Papua, and even now, people in certain districts are still growing rubber plants, for example, in Boven Digoel.
Rubber plants in Boven Digoel have existed since ancient times. Now the rubber farmers in the area are coordinated by Natalis Kaket and in Merauke Regency by Max Mahuze. Rubber potential dominates the border area of Boven Diogel and Merauke Regency.
Oil Palm
West Papua has a smaller oil palm plantation area than Papua, 51,000 ha in 2020. However, in 2021, the site will reach 51.8 thousand ha. This area shows that there is no significant expansion of oil palm plantations within a year.
However, the Tanah Papua forest needs to be protected because it is Indonesia’s last line of primary forest. This effort is also essential to be supported by sustainable development policies to maintain the environmental sustainability.
There are 24 oil palm plantation companies in West Papua, with concessions covering an area of approximately 759,000 hectares. Of this amount, about 625,000 hectares of which are forest areas. However, not all settlements have been planted.
Sago
Malnutrition has become a ticking time bomb in Papua and has exploded into disasters several times, as in Asmat Regency earlier this year. However, Papua has abundant food sources, one of which is the sago tree (Metroxylon sago Rottb), which grows wild in almost all of its lowlands.
Natural sago palms have a life cycle of about 10 – 12 years. After harvesting, two years later, in the same clump, saplings are ready to be cut down again, and so on. Papua’s sago starch’s potential has exceeded the national wheat imports volume.
Sago plants as one of West Papua Plantation Products are not only a source of carbohydrates but also protein.
Therefore, the community has local wisdom to harvest the larvae of the Rhynchophorus papuanus beetle from cut sago stems and leave them in the forest for several weeks.
