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Several small ships have not sailed due to bad weather. (Abdul Fatah) - 

The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysic Agency (BMKG) has urged people in North Maluku, especially sea transportation passengers, to be wary of high waves potentially reaching four to six meters high in the North Halmahera waters.

"We call to exercise caution with regard to several shipping activities to and from various regions in North Maluku in the wake of high waves at sea that could reach up to six meters," Ternate BMKG forecaster Sultan Baabullah Ternate Justia Prislly D. stated here on Saturday.

In the wake of bad weather accompanied by high waves in the waters in recent days, shipping activities, especially those using small vessels, have been held up.

Moreover, Prislly reminded that in the subsequent two days, heavy rains accompanied by blustery winds could likely occur in Jailolo, Sidangoli, Ternate, Tidore, Galela, Tobelo, and Morotai areas and across North Maluku, with temperatures ranging between 23 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius, humidity of 65-100 percent, winds from the southwest-north at speeds of 5-40 km/hour, and early warning of potential surface winds of up to 50 km/hour.

Extreme weather conditions can also be experienced in Jailolo, West Halmahera, Ternate, Tidore, Kao, Maba, Weda, Bacan, Kasiruta Island, and the adjoining areas.Head of the Sailing Safety, Guard and Patrol of the Ternate Harbormaster and Port Authority (KSOP), Miraza A. P., had earlier pointed to a delay in inter-island shipping activities from Ternate to various other areas owing to bad weather.

"Based on recommendation of the local BMKG, extreme weather, accompanied by strong winds and high waves, is very dangerous for safety, especially for small boat users, as the sea waves reach four to six meters," he remarked.

Hence, shipping activities from Ternate to various areas, such as Batang Dua Island, have not been allowed.

Sailing with pioneer ships, ASDP-owned ferries and folk ships headed for Ternate-Batang Dua and Bitung City have also not been permitted to operate to prevent accidents at sea due to high waves.Meanwhile, several speedboat passengers heading to Ternate-Makian, South Halmahera Regency, were left with no choice but to postpone their departure following high waves around these waters//ANT

Papua Deputy Governor Klemen Tinal. ANTARA/HO-Humas Pemprov Papua - 

Papua Deputy Governor Klemen Tinal requested security personnel to restore law and order in Beoga Sub-district, Puncak District, to enable the local administration to restart its public services.

"The education, health, and administrative services must resume immediately," Tinal noted in a statement circulated on the Papua provincial government's official website that ANTARA quoted here, Saturday.

Tinal also urged local residents to facilitate the authorities' endeavors to resume public services in communities following the fatal shootings of two teachers that had forced several non-native Papuans to flee their homes.

Currently, a joint team of personnel from the Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) and the Nemangkawi Task Force have brought under control the security situation in Beoga Sub-district. Papua Province has borne witness to a string of violent attacks by notorious armed Papuan criminals targeting civilians and security personnel in the past two years.On April 8, 2021, several armed Papuan criminals opened fire at a kiosk in Julukoma Village, Beoga Sub-district, at about 9:30 a.m. local time.

The shooting incident resulted in the death of a Beoga public elementary school teacher, Oktovianus Rayo.

After killing Rayo, the armed attackers continued their acts of terror by torching three classrooms of the Beoga public senior high school.

On Friday (April 9), the armed Papuan criminals again assaulted another teacher, Yonatan Randen. This junior high school teacher was shot on his chest.

Several villagers attempted to save Randen's life by moving him to the Beoga public health center, but he died.

On Sunday evening (April 11), the armed criminals set ablaze nine classrooms of the Beoga public junior high school.Papua Police Chief Insp. Gen. Mathius D. Fakhiri has vowed to trace and crack down on the killers of these two teachers.

"The TNI (Indonesian military) and police personnel will never retreat even a single step in enforcing the law against the killers," Fakhiri stated in Timika on Tuesday.

Fakhiri emphasized that the law enforcement units will work persistently to trace and crack down on the killers of the two teachers//ANT

Surigae cyclone develops over the West Pacific waters, northern Papua, on April 14, 2021 - 

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has warned nine provinces to prepare for likely impacts of the Surigae Tropical Cyclone while moving away from the Indonesian territory.

The Surigae Cyclone currently making landfall in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, north of West Papua, will increase in intensity and move, heading northwest in the next 24 hours, the agency stated while quoting results of an analysis by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on Saturday.

The cyclone has the potential to trigger heavy rains accompanied by lightning and strong winds in West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, Gorontalo, Central Sulawesi, North Maluku, and West Papua.

In addition, Surigae can cause waves reaching as high as 1.25 to 2.5 meters in the Sulawesi Sea, Sangihe Islands Waters, Sitaro Islands Waters, Bitung-Likupang Waters, Maluku Sea, South North Sulawesi Waters, Halmahera Sea, and Biak Waters to Jayapura.The cyclone is also forecast to cause sea waves reaching heights of 2.5 to four meters in the waters of Talaud Islands and waters of northern Halmahera and trigger sea waves as high as four to six meters in the northern Pacific Ocean of Halmahera to West Papua.

According to the BMKG projection until Saturday (April 17) at 7 p.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB), Cyclone Surigae is expected to make landfall in the waters of the Pacific Ocean and is moving towards the north of North Maluku, about 1,040 kilometers north northeast of Tahuna.

The tropical cyclone is estimated to move at a speed of 10 knots, or 19 kilometers per hour, with a power of 95 knots or 185 kilometers per hour, and pressure of 935 hPa.

The BNPB has urged authorities in districts and cities in the nine province that can likely face the impact of cyclones to improve preparedness, including readying contingency plans and implementing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for emergency handling by applying the COVID-19 health protocols.The local governments are also urged to prepare supporting facilities and infrastructure for handling disaster impacts, convey disaster mitigation information to residents, and allocate funds for handling emergency conditions//ANT

Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo. (HO/Agriculture Ministry) - 

Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo has encouraged Jeneponto Regency in South Sulawesi Province to become a center for quality agriculture and animal husbandry to fulfill the nation’s food requirements.

"I would like to urge all villages in Jeneponto to have an agricultural area that can produce twice as much. I also call on the ranks at the Agriculture Ministry to facilitate all agricultural development processes in this area to become the agricultural and livestock sector, so that they can meet domestic and export food requirements," Minister Limpo noted in a statement received here on Saturday.

Limpo attended an integrated livestock service activity under the State Mainstay Buffalo Cattle Priority Program (Sikomandan) in Bontomanai Village of Rumbia District in Jeneponto Regency of South Sulawesi Province.

The minister has monitored the developments on cattle and buffalo that are ready for sale and have above average weight. Hence, he said the government will encourage the regency to become a quality livestock center.

The minister will also provide assistance for the development of coffee and banana plantations and care and management of foals and buffalo calves to meet the national market.

"The ministry will also encourage the cultivation of coffee and banana as well as the care and management of foals and buffalo calves in Jeneponto. I see that today, Jeneponto is getting better and has shown a good trend. Hence, rice plantations are handled well as well as for corn, vegetables, and fruits," he pointed out.

The minister expects Jeneponto’s farmers and breeders to utilize the People's Business Credit (KUR) fund for agriculture as capital to run a better farming business.

"Agriculture in this area is already good, with the main activity being farming, but in addition, the community also raises livestock. In future, we will strive to encourage the plantation sector. It means that if we develop banana plantations of up to 10 thousand trees, for instance, then there must be people, who can process it into banana chips and for the flour industry. Hence, use the KUR funds. God willing, hopefully, the farmers would be more successful, have their own feed and slaughterhouse (RPH), and their own production," the minister remarked//ANT