The Patriot Expedition Team of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has identified leading commodities in the Muting Transmigration Area, Merauke, South Papua. The team is one of five research groups conducting studies in the Muting Transmigration Area, consisting of three teams from UGM and two from Universitas Indonesia (UI). One of UGM’s research topics focuses on the Development of Area-Specific Leading Commodities in Transmigration Areas.
The UGM team comprises Dwi Ardianta Kurniawan as the team leader, along with Arif Aji Kurniawan (alumnus), Andaru Sheera Kristianto, Fatimah Azzahra Ahda, and Trisna Diah Ayu Wulandari.
Alongside the ongoing field research, which will continue until December, the team also held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) in the Muting Transmigration Area, Merauke, on Oct. 7 to 8, 2025.
Dwi Ardianta Kurniawan reported that field findings from late August to early October, particularly in the Muting and Ulilin districts, revealed six villages in Muting and nine in Ulilin with diverse leading commodities.
“Although the commodities vary, our expedition team has preliminarily identified one main commodity found in almost all villages that is rambutan,” said Kurniawan in a press statement to reporters on Monday (Oct. 20).
According to Kurniawan, rambutan has significant economic value and serves as an important source of household income.
In addition to rambutan, the team identified other commodities, including fruits (durian, avocado), plantation crops (rubber, areca nut, coffee, oil palm), and vegetables and spices (chili, pepper, long beans, mustard greens). They also found food crops like rice, maize, soybeans, and peanuts.
“We also observed livestock farming activities involving cattle, goats, and poultry in several identified villages,” he explained.
Dr. Agam Marsoyo, a lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning at the UGM Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM), stated that identifying leading commodities in transmigration areas should consider not only economic factors but also sustainability aspects.
He emphasized that sustainability is crucial to minimizing the potential negative impacts of commodity-based economic development.
He cautioned that large-scale oil palm cultivation, for example, could lead to long-term drought risks, while other crops might cause landslides in mountainous regions.
“A stable market is also essential, as past experiences with rubber showed that the absence of buyers caused significant losses for farmers,” said Dr. Marsoyo.
He added that similar market challenges often affect rambutan, which tends to lose value and rot during the peak harvest season. In this regard, government intervention is needed to bridge production with marketing efforts and to promote downstream industries for commodity processing.
However, given the strong community interest in oil palm cultivation, Dr. Marsoyo emphasized the need for appropriate solutions by facilitating connections between smallholders and the palm oil industry.
He suggested that formal agreements between landowners and companies could provide legal certainty, enabling farmers to cultivate and sell their produce with confidence.
Although an independent cooperative in the Muting District has begun supplying palm oil to local industries, such collaboration frameworks are still under discussion in the Ulilin District.
“Oil palm remains a promising commodity that provides regular income, but in the long term, solutions are needed to mitigate potential drought risks,” he remarked.
The FGD was part of a series of activities under the Patriot Expedition program, initiated by the Ministry of Transmigration in collaboration with seven leading universities in Indonesia.
The program will continue until early December 2025, during which four team members will reside on-site to conduct field identification, observation, and data collection from relevant agencies.
All collected data will then be analyzed and compiled into policy recommendations for the Ministry of Transmigration and related government institutions.
The findings of the UGM Patriot Expedition Team are expected to provide valuable input for developing evidence-based programs that reflect the realities on the ground.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya