Agricultural Drones

Indonesia’s Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman says farmers in Merauke, South Papua, are seeing stronger livelihoods as modern technology reshapes rice cultivation. One detail he highlighted was the presence of smartphone-level devices, including iPhones, among agricultural operators. The remark came after a rice-planting activity with farmers in Waninggap Kai Village. Amran said he personally noticed the contents of one farmer’s bag, using that moment to point to a broader shift in how farming income and technology are moving together. Technology as a marker of changing income Amran linked the improving welfare of farmers to higher rice productivity in the region. He said the gains are tied to the growing use of technology in production, which has helped raise output and, by extension, income. In his view, this is no longer a case of technology playing a supporting role. He described it as a central factor in lifting farmers’ earnings and modernizing the way agriculture operates in Merauke. Drones signal a different kind of farm He also pointed to the use of drones in agriculture as evidence of how far the sector has changed. According to Amran, the adoption of such tools places farming in Merauke on a level comparable to advanced agricultural countries such as Japan and the United States. The shift is visible not only in equipment, but also in the people operating it. Amran cited Merauke drone operator Celivius Gebze as an example of how technical skills in modern farming can open the door to a better standard of living. A visible break from conventional methods The developments in South Papua reflect a wider move away from conventional farming practices. Technology is increasingly part of everyday agricultural work there, from planting to land management. That change matters because it shows modernization is not limited to policy goals in Jakarta. In Merauke, it is already appearing on the ground through productivity gains, the use of drones, and signs of improved consumer access among farmers themselves. For Amran, the takeaway is straightforward: when farmers master modern tools, their economic position can improve with them. The sight of a smartphone in a farmer’s bag, he suggested, is one small but telling sign of that transition.

Merauke Farmers Grow Wealthier, Even iPhones Are Now Part of the Story