Pemprov Papua Upayakan Harga Kakao dan Vanila Lebih Menguntungkan Petani

JAYAPURA – Pemerintah Provinsi Papua membuka peluang kerja sama pengembangan komoditas kakao dan vanila di Kabupaten Keerom guna meningkatkan nilai ekonomi yang diterima petani. Langkah ini dilakukan agar hasil produksi masyarakat memiliki akses pasar yang lebih baik dan tidak bergantung pada rantai distribusi yang panjang.

Kepala Dinas Tenaga Kerja, Koperasi dan UKM Papua Jimmy Thesia mengatakan selama ini harga kakao dan vanila di tingkat petani belum sepenuhnya mencerminkan harga pasar karena proses pemasaran melibatkan banyak perantara.

“Kalau rantai pasok yang panjang itu bisa dipersingkat, masyarakat akan memperoleh harga yang lebih sesuai dengan nilai pasar,” ujarnya.

Menurutnya, Pemerintah Provinsi Papua tengah menjajaki kerja sama dengan mitra dari Belanda yang telah melihat langsung potensi perkebunan kakao dan vanila di Kabupaten Keerom.

Dari hasil kunjungan tersebut, masih ditemukan sejumlah lahan perkebunan yang belum dikelola secara optimal karena rendahnya nilai ekonomi yang diterima petani.

Selain pengembangan pemasaran, pemerintah juga membahas peningkatan kapasitas sumber daya manusia di kawasan sentra kakao dan vanila.

Jimmy mengatakan pengembangan komoditas unggulan daerah membutuhkan dukungan dari berbagai sektor, mulai dari produksi, pengolahan hingga pemasaran agar manfaatnya dapat dirasakan langsung oleh masyarakat.

“Kalau bahan bakunya kuat dan pasarnya tersedia, maka pengembangan kakao dan vanila akan memberi dampak ekonomi yang lebih besar bagi masyarakat,” katanya. ***

JAYAPURA — The Papua Provincial Government is opening opportunities for cooperation in the development of cocoa and vanilla commodities in Keerom Regency to increase the economic value received by farmers. This step is being taken so that local production can gain better market access and no longer depend on long distribution chains.

Head of the Papua Manpower, Cooperatives, and SMEs Office, Jimmy Thesia, said that cocoa and vanilla prices at the farmer level have not fully reflected market prices because the marketing process still involves many intermediaries.

"If the long supply chain can be shortened, the community will receive prices that are more in line with market value," he said.

According to him, the Papua Provincial Government is currently exploring cooperation with partners from the Netherlands who have directly observed the potential of cocoa and vanilla plantations in Keerom Regency.

Based on the visit, a number of plantation areas were still found to be not optimally managed due to the low economic value received by farmers.

In addition to marketing development, the government is also discussing efforts to improve human resource capacity in cocoa and vanilla production centers.

Jimmy said the development of regional flagship commodities requires support from various sectors, from production and processing to marketing, so that the benefits can be directly felt by the community.

"If the raw materials are strong and the market is available, then the development of cocoa and vanilla will have a greater economic impact on the community," he said. ***