The economy of West Sumatra, Indonesia, is supported by three sectors: agriculture, fisheries, and forestry, which need to be optimized, according to Governor Mahyeldi Ansharullah. These sectors contribute 21.2% to the economic growth of the province. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the people of West Sumatra did not experience food shortages due to abundant harvests. Agricultural commodities, horticulture, and plantations contribute the most to the economy, accounting for 63.3%, followed by fisheries (20.24%), livestock (9.06%), forestry (5.42%), and agricultural services (2.03%). The GDP of West Sumatra in the first quarter of 2023 grew by 4.8%, with the highest growth of 1.06% in the agricultural and fisheries sectors. The province's exports in April 2023 amounted to USD 159.79 million, including palm oil and its derivatives, cocoa beans, nutmeg, cloves, rubber, sweet potatoes, mangosteen, jengkol, coffee, and others. Governor Mahyeldi emphasized the export potential of commodities such as jengkol, petai, lamtorogung, durian, papaya leaves, and candlenut to European, American, Asian, and Australian markets.
The natural conditions in West Sumatra provide opportunities for four main fields of business: food crop agriculture, horticulture, plantations, and livestock farming. These fields are spread across the cities and regencies and serve as the main source of income for most farming households. The West Sumatra provincial government has two flagship programs for agricultural development: increasing the income of farmers and fishermen by allocating 10% of the provincial budget to the agricultural sector and achieving self-sufficiency in rice and corn production, as well as promoting self-reliance in several livestock commodities. The governor emphasized the importance of the involvement of all stakeholders in the successful development of the agricultural sector and stated that government policies play a crucial role in achieving food sovereignty and farmer welfare.
