InfoSAWIT, MANOKWARI – Minister of Agriculture, Andi Amran Sulaiman targeted that Regency of Manokwari, West Papua Province would be the best sample to develop palm oil downstream industries and would have a change to get export activities. He thought, Papua is the strategic one for massively having potential areas.

“If willing to get downstream sectors, the prepared areas should be 100 to 200 thousand hectares. We could process palm cooking oil independently. We hope it in order not to depend on imports,” Amran said when seeing palm oil mill construction in Village of Wasegi Indah, Distrik Prafi, Regency of Manokwari, Friday, 31 May 2024, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT.

He continued Indonesia could not depend on palm oil price in the globe by having downstream sectors. Every process and trade would be in this country only.

“If palm oil gets cheaper, it could be no issue. We could trade the downstream products in this country,” he said.

He also said it would be significant to maintain palm oil plantation productivity and the regional governments and smallholders should maintain theirs productively. The old plantations should be replanted by new ones.

“We offered helps to get replanting program that covered 2.300 hectares. If any party would need more, we would deliver because smallholders replanting program is in our control,” he said.

For having many efforts, Amran Sulaiman hoped Papua could develop, hit food independency both in palm oil plantations and other food products.

“The most important thing is that how West Papua has food independency to fulfill its own needs. If it is possible, the province could supply the surroundings, such as, in Central Papua, Papua Pegunungan, Southwest Papua, and Papua Induk," he said.

By having the clear targets and concrete ways, West Papua could potentially be the province with food independency and significantly contribute to the economy nationally through palm oil sectors. (T2)