Jayapura Food Crop Service distributes vegetables to quarantined residents

Jayapura Food Crop Service distributes vegetables to quarantined residents

The Department of Food and Horticulture (TPH) of Jayapura Regency, Papua Province routinely distributes fresh vegetables to residents in quarantine areas due to the impact of a certain COVID-19 pandemic in the district.

Head of Jayapura Regency's Food Crops and Horticulture Office, David A. Zakaria in Sentani, on Tuesday said that in addition to the assistance of nine staples from the government, hundreds of residents who were undergoing a quarantine period for certain areas in the Lama Sentani Market, also received fresh vegetable assistance.

According to him fresh vegetables distributed to quarantined residents were bought directly from a number of local farmers in the Sentani City area. "The vegetables we distribute are bought from farmer groups in Sentani City and we distribute them to the COVID-19 quarantine area," he said.

He said, the distribution of vegetables was given in conjunction with the distribution of food ingredients that were submitted by the Jayapura Regency Government, through the Social Service.

David admitted, until now indeed not all residents get these vegetables. This is due to the lack of availability of vegetables in existing farmer groups. In addition to serving purchases from the government, these local farmers also have to serve several other vegetable seller customers.

"So, our supply is still limited because the amount of vegetable production is also shared with other customers," he said.

He added, the government's effort to buy vegetables from the community or farmer groups in Jayapura Regency was a form of economic empowerment for the community. That way the vegetable farmers are not too affected by the lack of buyers.

"So this is also being encouraged by the Jayapura Regent so that during the COVID-19 pandemic there will be empowerment of farmers in this area," said David A. Zakaria.