Papua’s push for rice self-sufficiency by 2028 is taking shape through a combination of new farmland, higher productivity and modern agricultural technology. The provincial government is targeting 6,500 hectares of newly developed rice fields this year, while agricultural officials are promoting mechanisation and improved cultivation methods to increase output.
The ambition was underscored on October 1, 2026, when Papua Governor Matius D. Fakhiri joined a rice harvest in Koya Timur, Muara Tami District, Jayapura. The event offered a practical illustration of the province’s agricultural potential, as officials discussed production gains and the work still needed to turn local harvests into a reliable supply for communities across Papua.
For a province where geography and infrastructure shape the movement of goods, the target is about more than growing rice. It also involves making farmland productive, improving water management and connecting agricultural development with the needs of consumers.
A 2028 Target Takes Shape
The Papua provincial administration has set 2028 as its target for achieving rice self-sufficiency. Fakhiri said the plan combines the opening of new rice fields, rehabilitation of previously unused agricultural land and efforts to improve yields on existing farms.
The government’s stated programme includes the development of 6,500 hectares of new rice fields in 2026, alongside the rehabilitation of land that has been left idle. The initiative aims to increase the cultivated area while optimising the use of existing farmland.
Fakhiri described the initiative as part of the province’s contribution to Indonesia’s broader food security and self-reliance agenda under President Prabowo Subianto. The provincial government has also linked agricultural development to its ambition to diversify the regional economy and strengthen sectors beyond mining.
The scale of the challenge, however, means that increasing the area planted is only one part of the equation. The land must be suitable for cultivation, supplied with water and supported by the equipment and expertise needed to sustain production over time.
Productivity Offers an Early Indication of Potential
At the October 1 harvest in Koya Timur, agricultural officials reported a yield of eight tonnes per hectare from a two-hectare rice field. The result was above the average production level in Papua, as cited by the provincial agricultural research and modernisation agency.
Aser Rouw, head of the Agricultural Research and Modernisation Centre (BRMP) in Papua, said the agency was working to introduce modern farming systems to increase both plant populations and productivity.
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Author: Westpapuavoice.ac
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