Working with one spirit, one heart, one purpose
MERAUKE HAS FOREIGN INVESTMENT POTENTIAL IN AGRICULTURE, FISHING AND TOURISM AND THE REGENCY SEEKS TO INCREASE ITS REVENUE BASE

LAND AVAILABILITY in Merauke regency means the potential to boost rice cultivation is huge.

Indonesia is one of the world’s largest importers of rice, the staple diet for most of its 220 million inhabitants. With imports expected to reach three million tons this year, it would make sense for Indonesia to expand its own rice production and greatly lessen this dependence.

The chief location for rice-planting is Merauke, a regency in eastern Papua (formerly Irian Jaya). Known as Deer Town, Merauke lies in the eastern part of Indonesia, bordering Papua New Guinea.
There is rich potential for future development: the regency has 9.6 million acres of land available for agriculture, but so far only 1.2 million acres has been brought under cultivation.

Around 1.48 million acres are ready for new rice farms in Merauke, according to the State Minister for Eastern Indonesia, Manuel Kaisiepo. “We are also preparing another 988,400 acres in Merauke,” he says. “There are no problems with the condition of the land and we are evaluating the water supply system.”
The government is trying to raise living standards by developing more plantations. “The government has designated us the national rice bowl. We are not only going to develop more rice farms, but we will also develop other commodities. We have sufficient land to be turned into plantations and there are local and foreign investors keen to develop these,” says Mr. Kaisiepo.

JOHANES GLUBA GEBZE Regent of Merauke

The regent, Johanes Gluba Gebze, says: “We have planted paddy fields, soybeans, corn, sugarcane and sweet potatoes. On the plantations we have oil palms, cloves, coffee, cocoa and fruit.”
Merauke was once known for its sugar production, cultivating 70 different varieties of cane. “If there are any investors interested, they should come to Merauke. They will be surprised by the potential we have here and we will guarantee their safety,” says Mr. Gebze.
Another industry with considerable potential is fishing. Merauke’s coastal waters are rich in marine life, particularly shrimp, lobsters and cuttlefish. The areas of mangrove swamp are rich in Arwana fish, which are found only in Papua and Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo).
“We have great potential for shrimp farming,” says Mr. Gebze. “We have many mangrove swamps around our coastline, which are ideal for shrimps and crabs.”

Fish is the main commodity handled at the port of Merauke, three miles upstream from the estuary of the Moro River and about 60 miles from the border with Papua New Guinea.
While foreign tourists flock in their millions to Bali and other parts of Indonesia, Merauke tends to attract fewer, more adventurous tourists. Mr. Gebze admits that Papua’s communication links are not as well developed as those on other islands, but as a result it is rich in areas of untouched beauty. “We should focus on adventure travel and eco-tourism, which are the most suitable for us,” he says.
The hot and humid climate may not be to everyone’s taste, but the raw beauty of Merauke, with its untamed jungle, snow-capped mountain peaks, glacier lakes and spectacular panoramas combine to make a feast for the senses. Tourists will find beautiful scenic beaches, marshlands, cool grassy meadows, rivers, gorges and dense primeval forests.

Merauke covers nearly 46,000 sq miles and has a population of nearly 280,000, mainly comprising natives of the Asmat, Muyu, Wambon/Mandobo, Auyu and Yagai/Mapai tribes. According to Mr. Gebze, with such a diverse population, the regency’s motto is “one spirit, one heart, one purpose, to unify all energy and manpower to build a new Merauke in the future”.
The people of the island can be divided into more than 250 subgroups. Those in the central highlands still maintain their customs and traditions, and because of the terrain have virtually remained untouched by outside influences.
Near the Jayawijaya mountain range, tourists can visit a tiny settlement in the rainforest, one of the most remote areas on earth, inhabited by the Korowai and Kombai people who live in houses built up in the trees, from 30 to 80 feet up. They are among the last hunter-gatherers left on earth.

A QUARTER of the world’s 800 dialects are spoken in Papua, and many of the tribes retain customs and traditions from the distant past.

The Asmat are perhaps the best known of all the tribes in Papua and inhabit the southern swamplands. Asmat means ‘wood’ and the tribe believe they were created from trees. Their famous carvings are intricately tied to ancestral spirits and complex, year-long ceremonies. Asmat woodcarvings are some of the most sought after in the world.
Carstensz Pyramid is the highest peak on the Australasian continental plate and one of the seven highest summits on the seven continents. Carstensz is the most exotic summit due to its remote location. Villages exist whose people still live with traditions dating back thousands of years.

Papua also boasts the world’s deepest natural harbor, (Humboldt Harbor, Jayapura), the only permanent glacier of any tropical island, and the largest tract of rainforest in the world, excluding the Amazon.
Located eight miles out of Merauke Town, Wasur National Park boasts various flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world. In areas of savannah, mangrove swamp and forest, visitors can engage in bird and wildlife watching, hiking and traditional hunting. There are 390 species of birds, 74 of which are found nowhere else. It is the first National Park in Indonesia to incorporate existing villages and it encourages residents to take part in managing the park’s natural resources.

Beautiful Lampu Satu beach, stretching across the Pacific Ocean, is very popular with tourists, and there are facilities for horse and motorcycle racing.
Mr. Gebze accepts that Papua is barely known to the rest of the world, but he points out that this is changing as people receive more information via the internet. “Our new web site is just the beginning and we would like to take further steps to promote Merauke as an attractive place for investment and tourism,” he says.
“With all our hearts, we invite people to come here and experience the things they will never find anywhere else,” says Mr. Gebze.