Merauke Farmers Complain of Diesel Shortage, Amran Says He's Happy

MERAUKE — Diesel demand in Merauke’s agricultural sector has surged sharply as the national rice field expansion program speeds up. The shortage of diesel at the farmer level is not merely a distribution problem, but a clear sign of the high intensity of farm machinery use in the field.
Minister of Agriculture (Mentan) Amran Sulaiman gave an unexpected response when he heard farmers in Waninggap Kai Village, Semangga District, Merauke, complain about the difficulty of getting diesel. In front of the farmers, he actually said he was happy to hear the news. The complaint surfaced during Mentan Amran’s working visit to the rice field expansion site on Saturday (7/4/2026). Local farmers openly asked the government to make access to diesel fuel easier. Their needs have risen sharply along with the massive use of agricultural machinery (alsintan) in the field.
“We are asking for a special diesel pump for farmers,” said one farmer during the live dialogue session.

Indicator of Farmers’ Hard Work

Amran said the diesel shortage at the farmer level is not just a technical distribution issue, but a positive indicator of productivity. According to him, if farmers run short of fuel, it means agricultural machines such as tractors, water pumps, and combine harvesters are operating at full capacity.
“I am happy because you are having trouble getting diesel. It means you want to work hard. If in the past diesel was sent but not used, now I am proud that there is a shortage of diesel. That means the machines are truly being used to work the land,” Amran said firmly.
The statement reflects the government’s optimism about the rice field expansion program, which is now a priority in South Papua. Even so, Amran did not let the complaint fade away. He immediately ordered the Directorate General of Agricultural Infrastructure and Facilities (PSP) to move quickly to address the obstacle in the field.

Quick Move with Pertamina

In front of the farmers, Amran immediately asked the Director General of PSP to call PT Pertamina (Persero). He wanted to ensure that distribution obstacles in the field would be resolved as soon as possible. The instruction was given on the spot, without delay, ensuring bureaucracy would not become an obstacle to operations in the fields.
“Director General of PSP, please call Pertamina now, find the phone number, call them,” he instructed immediately.
The communication results were fairly quick. Amran said Pertamina had agreed to add diesel quota for the Merauke area. Cross-ministry coordination, including with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and Pertamina’s leadership, was said to be running without major hurdles to support the urgent needs of land cultivators.

Dynamics of Farmers’ Fuel Needs

At present, Merauke’s agricultural fuel needs still depend on distribution through regular gas stations. There is no special gas station facility to serve large-scale farming equipment needs, so farmers often have to compete with other vehicles. Below is an overview of diesel distribution conditions for the agricultural sector in Merauke:
Needs
Current Condition
Diesel Distribution
Through gas stations and official distribution agencies
Special Facilities
No special gas station for farmers yet
Equipment Use
Tractors, water pumps, combine harvesters, drones
The quota increase is expected to provide a short-term solution. The government’s focus now is to ensure that the supply actually reaches farmers to support national food production targets from Merauke. Amran emphasized that synergy between the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, and Pertamina is the key to ensuring rice field activities do not stop simply because of delays in fuel distribution.

National Food Self-Sufficiency Target

Merauke now carries a major responsibility as one of Indonesia’s new food barns in the east. With land area continuing to expand through the rice field program, dependence on mechanized tools is absolute. The use of technology such as drones for fertilizing and combine harvesters for automatic harvesting makes diesel a vital commodity that cannot be compromised.
Field analysis shows that the efficiency of modern agriculture depends heavily on a stable energy supply. Without a steady diesel supply, machines purchased with major investment risk sitting idle, which would only hinder efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency targets. Mentan Amran’s quick move through direct coordination with Pertamina was a tactical response to that risk.
Going forward, the government is being pressed to immediately consider a more independent energy supply scheme for large-scale agricultural areas, such as building special storage tanks or integrating diesel distribution directly into production points. The success of diesel distribution this planting season will serve as a reference for other regions carrying out similar land expansion programs.
The central government appears to remain of the view that a fuel shortage is proof that state machinery is truly moving across the people’s rice fields. Now the question is how Pertamina and related agencies will maintain their commitment to the quota increase so it remains available sustainably until harvest season arrives. The real test will be seen in the accuracy of distribution at the grassroots level over the next few months.