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40,000 ha of South Papua wetlands ready to produce food: Ministry
The ministry has finished preparing wetlands in Merauke district for agricultural purposes, with further plans to distribute machinery, technology and other assistance for farmers to increase production in support of the overarching goal of food security.
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Farmers use tractors on Sept. 4, 2020 to prepare rice fields for planting at the site of the government’s food estate program in Belanti Siam village, Pujang Pisau regency, Central Kalimantan.
(Antara/Makna Zaezar)
T
he Agriculture Ministry says it has finished converting 40,000 hectares (ha) of wetlands for agriculture in Merauke district, the capital of the namesake regency in South Papua, to achieve food security.
"The swampland optimization process in Merauke has been completed today, according to the target [of] 40 thousand ha," Hermanto, secretary of the ministry’s Agricultural Infrastructure and Facilities Directorate General, said in a statement on Tuesday, as quoted by news agency Antara.
Farmers could immediately begin cultivating the land to increase rice production, he said.
The newly prepared land spans six subdistricts, comprising over 10,000 ha in Tanah Miring and Kurik, 6,000 ha in Semangga and Malindo, over 1,600 ha in Jagebob and around 4,000 ha in Merauke.
Hermanto also said the Merauke land project included constructing bridges and irrigation networks as well as installing water pumps for farm use.
"With these technologies, farmers will be able to manage up to 5 ha of land [each]," he said.
The Agriculture Ministry also plans to provide assistance to farmers, including the provision of modern agricultural equipment for plowing and planting the new agricultural tract, according to its statement.
