West Sumatra Regional Government Appreciates MEKAR’s Support in the Simultaneous Corn Planting Program

Padang Pariaman, March 7, 2026 — The West Sumatra regional government expressed its appreciation for MEKAR’s involvement together with Paten Mekar Tani in supporting the Q1 2026 Simultaneous Corn Planting program held in Padang Pariaman Regency.

The activity, initiated by the Indonesian National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) and implemented by the West Sumatra Regional Police (Polda Sumatera Barat), is considered a concrete step to accelerate the utilization of idle land while strengthening regional food security.

Padang Pariaman Regent John Kenedy Azis emphasized that collaboration with private-sector parties such as MEKAR has a significant impact on the effectiveness of program implementation on the ground.

“In Padang Pariaman there is a lot of unproductive land; therefore we warmly welcome this cooperation (investment),” said Regent John Kenedy Azis in Ulakan Tapakis District on Thursday.

According to him, one of the main challenges for the local government is reactivating lands that have long been unproductive. In this context, MEKAR’s presence serves as a catalyst that speeds up the process.Land that had been neglected for more than 30 years is now beginning to be cultivated again into productive farmland, opening new economic opportunities for surrounding communities.

A representative of the West Sumatra Provincial Government also viewed cross-sector collaboration like this as a model that should be expanded to other regions.

“Thank God, I just received information from the niniak mamak that in their clan’s area there are around 100 hectares of land that has been idle. In the near future we will conduct a check and report it to the Regional Police Chief so it can then be coordinated with PT Paten Mekar Tani,” he said.

In addition to increasing food production, the program is also considered capable of encouraging job absorption and driving the local economy.

The regional government hopes this collaboration can continue, not only as a ceremonial activity, but also in developing a sustainable agricultural ecosystem.