Ambon (ANTARA) – Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has approved the development of downstream coconut and cassava processing in Maluku to increase the added value of agricultural products and support poverty alleviation in the region.Maluku Governor Hendrik Lewerissa discussed the approval in a written statement received in Ambon on Tuesday, June 9. The decision followed a meeting with the agriculture minister and ministry officials in Jakarta.”The minister has approved coconut commodity development and downstream processing in Southeast Maluku, the Tanimbar Islands, the Aru Islands, and Southwest Maluku,” Lewerissa said.”This is a strategic step. Coconut is closely related to the people's lives and has significant economic potential,” he added.According to him, the downstreaming program will increase the added value of the region's leading commodities. It is expected to open new business opportunities and create jobs for the community.He explained that currently, most agricultural products are still sold as raw materials, thus creating suboptimal economic value for the community.”We want the community to not only sell their products as raw materials, but also gain greater economic benefits through processing,” he said. In addition to coconuts, the Maluku Provincial Government is also proposing the development of cassava downstreaming in South Buru District, designed in an integrated manner, from cultivation to the processing industry.”The area has potential land for the development of large-scale cassava plantations that will be integrated with the processing industry,” he said, adding the program is aimed at producing value-added derivative products such as cassava rice and ethanol, which support national food and energy security.According to Lewerissa, the minister responded positively to the Maluku Provincial Government's proposal, including approving some agricultural tools and machinery needed to support the implementation of the downstreaming program.The Maluku Provincial Government is also opening up opportunities for collaboration with state-owned enterprises (SOEs), the private sector, and investors to strengthen the agricultural downstream ecosystem in the region.According to Lewerissa, the collaboration is necessary to encourage increased production, create added value, create jobs, and accelerate poverty reduction in Maluku.