MERAUKE – The Government of South Papua Province continues to motivate the community, especially farmers, not to be discouraged from planting corn. This is due to the large potential for corn needs in the South Papua Province.
This was conveyed by the Head of the Agriculture, Marine and Fisheries Service of South Papua Province, Paino in Jagebob District, Gurinda Jaya Village when harvesting corn on 16 hectares with the farmers there.
Paino said that the corn harvest, which was previously planted by farmers at several different points, was an effort to continue to stimulate farmers to plant corn.
He emphasized that farmers do not need to worry about corn harvesters. Previously, farmers were traumatized to plant corn because no one bought it.
“We have prepared a container in SP 9, don’t worry, this corn harvest is not nonsense, people plant then no one buys. Because the need for corn per day is 5 tons,” Paino explained.
In response to the high demand for corn in Merauke Regency, the South Papua Provincial Government through the local Food Crops, Agriculture, Marine and Fisheries Office (TPPKP) implemented a corn planting program on 300 hectares of land, located in a number of districts in Merauke Regency.
Head of the Food Crops, Agriculture, Marine and Fisheries Service (TPPKP) of South Papua Province (PPS), Paino said, of the 300 hectares of corn land cultivated, it is expected to produce 10-12 tons of corn per hectare.
“Yesterday I communicated with corn farmer groups, for this year we are working on approximately 300 hectares of corn land in Merauke,” Paino told reporters in Merauke.
In addition, the South Papua Provincial Government was also given support for corn seeds for an area of 2000 hectares from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia. “It has started the delivery process, hopefully it will arrive quickly, because the need for corn is quite high,” Paino said.
“For example, the animal feed factory in Merauke needs 5 tons of corn every day,” he added. Paino said that the 2000 hectares of land are located in a number of areas including Jagebob, Tanah Miring, Semangga, Malind and Kurik Districts. “These areas have been mapped, when the seeds arrive, all that is left is to distribute the seeds,” Paino concluded.
