West Papua Is Ready to Become a National Food Basket with the Presence of the Fakfak Fertilizer Industrial Zone
West Papua, which has long been known as a region rich in natural resources, is now on track to become a national food basket.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) laid the groundbreaking for the Fakfak Fertilizer Industrial Zone in Arguni District, Fakfak Regency, West Papua, on November 23, 2023. The construction of this fertilizer industrial zone is one of the National Strategic Projects (PSN) that aims to promote economic equality in Eastern Indonesia.
The Fakfak Fertilizer Industrial Zone will be the first fertilizer industrial zone to be built in Indonesia in 40 years, or since the last one was built in Aceh in 1982. The zone will cover an area of 2,000 hectares and is scheduled to be completed in 2028.
The production capacity for ammonia products is estimated to be 2,500 metric tons per day (MTPD) and urea products is estimated to be 3,500 MTPD. With a planned investment value of approximately Rp30 trillion, it is expected to boost new economic growth in the West Papua region through increased value added to the natural gas commodities owned by the Papuan land, creating jobs and community empowerment, and supporting national resilience programs.
The presence of the Fakfak Fertilizer Industrial Zone is certainly good news for the people of West Papua. After all, the industrial zone will become a new engine of economic growth in the region. In addition, the zone will also support the national food security program by providing fertilizer to farmers in West Papua and its surroundings.
With the presence of the Fakfak Fertilizer Industrial Zone, West Papua is now ready to become a national food basket. The presence of this industrial zone will be a starting point for the economic revival in the Eastern Indonesia region.