During a visit to the provincial capital Jayapura on Wednesday, he said his ministry is ready to help the Papua administration achieve its food self-sufficiency goals.
He said the ministry will begin by clearing 20,000 hectares and will soon supply equipment for paddy field preparation to support farmers starting the planting process.
Papua Governor Mathius Fakhiri welcomed the plan, saying that alongside the four districts currently planting rice, two additional districts will also be developed for cultivation.
He said Papua fully supports the rice-paddy development program and hopes for strong community participation, as the results are expected to improve local welfare.
"We should support agricultural development for our farmers to meet their own needs," Sulaiman added.
He also said that the central government has allocated an initial Rp3 trillion, or about US$180 million, to strengthen food production programs, including those in Papua.
Sulaiman reiterated that Indonesia has halted rice imports as national reserves have reached 3.7 million tons, the highest since state-owned logistics firm Bulog was established in 1967.
"Usually, the maximum rice reserve is only around 2 million tons, but now it has increased so that rice demand is met," he said.
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Translator: Evarukdijati, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
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