81st Anniversary of Central Java: From Central Java's Rice Fields to Indonesia's Dining Tables
Harvesting machines move across the rice fields in Gentan Village, Bendosari District, Sukoharjo Regency. On approximately 264 hectares of land, more than 100 farmers who are members of the Sari Tani Farmers Group Association (Gapoktan) make their living. In the second planting season of 2026, they were able to harvest more than six tonnes of paddy per hectare.
For the chairman of Gentan Village Gapoktan, Joko Mursito, the abundant harvest was not only about the yellowing rice grains. The moment also gave farmers the opportunity to convey their needs directly to the government, ranging from water availability for the third planting season, electricity networks for agricultural wells, additional harvesting machines, to improvements to farm roads.
“Alhamdulillah, the farmers of Gentan Village are happy because our aspirations were directly received by the Governor. We feel cared for and comfortable,” said Joko Mursito on 24 June 2026.
Ahead of the 81st Anniversary of Central Java Province, the agricultural sector continues to be a focus for the administration under the leadership of Governor Ahmad Luthfi and Deputy Governor Taj Yasin Maimoen. The ambition is not merely to meet the needs of the province, but also to serve as a pillar of national food supply.
In 2025, Central Java’s paddy production reached 9.39 million tonnes of dry milled grain (GKG), an increase of approximately 493,684 tonnes compared to the previous year. The production came from a harvested area of around 1.67 million hectares. This achievement means Central Java contributes around 15 percent to national food production.
This means that the paddy harvested by Central Java farmers does not only meet regional needs. Part of it moves across regional boundaries, becoming rice that appears on the dining tables of people in various parts of Indonesia.
This contribution continues to be maintained in 2026. The Central Java Provincial Government has set a paddy production target of 10,559,679 tonnes of GKG. Up to the January-July 2026 period, production is projected to reach 6.74 million tonnes of GKG, or around 63.43 percent of the annual target.
Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi assessed that the achievement cannot be separated from the hard work of farmers and the collaboration of regional governments in maintaining land, irrigation, production facilities, and the use of agricultural technology. “Farmers are not merely planters, but guardians of the nation’s future,” said Ahmad Luthfi.
Efforts to pursue the target are carried out from upstream to downstream. In 2026, the Central Java Provincial Government has prepared seed assistance and paddy production facilities for 47,200 hectares of land. Similar support is provided for the development of maize on 3,200 hectares, soybeans on 3,000 hectares, chillies on 310 hectares, and shallots through true shallot seed on 25 hectares.
The Central Java Provincial Government continues to tighten control over the conversion of paddy fields in its territory. Governor Ahmad Luthfi said that to date, 26 regencies/cities in the province have met the target for protecting Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B) of 87 percent. According to him, meeting this target is considered important to maintain Central Java as one of the national food barns.
These efforts are not empty promises. The benefits of agricultural facility support are felt by farmers in Mojorembun Village, Kaliori District, Rembang Regency, among others.
The Budi Luhur Farmers Group, which has 80 members, manages around 35 hectares of land. Previously, the land in the area could only be planted with paddy once a year. After receiving pump irrigation support and agricultural machinery, farmers can plant up to three times, with production of around 7–7.5 tonnes per hectare.
A member of the Budi Luhur Farmers Group, Karyono, said that the irrigation assistance gave farmers the courage to return to working the land despite facing the threat of prolonged drought. “Since receiving the pump irrigation assistance, farmers here have been able to enjoy three harvests,” said Karyono.
In addition to seed and irrigation assistance, agricultural modernisation continues to be expanded. One method is through an integrated mechanisation pattern known as the sepur system. Harvesting machines, soil tillers, decomposer sprayers, and planting machines work sequentially, so that land can be immediately replanted after harvest.
For two hectares of land, work that manually requires up to 10 days can be completed in one day. This acceleration opens opportunities to increase the planting index while saving farmers’ time and energy.
Production strengthening is also supported through the rehabilitation of 334 packages of tertiary irrigation networks and the construction of 75 packages of pipe irrigation. Agricultural equipment distribution includes 100 rice planting machines, 86 crawler tractors, 30 four-wheel tractors, 100 water pumps, 10 combine harvesters, as well as dozens of cultivators and hand tractors.
Protection against farming business risks has also been prepared. The Central Java Provincial Government has allocated a Rice Farming Business Insurance programme for 10,449 hectares of land and interest rate subsidies for 800 packages of farmer financing. This protection is needed so that farmers do not bear all losses alone when their land is affected by disasters or experiences crop failure.
Governor Luthfi emphasised that increasing food production requires the involvement of all regencies and cities, especially in protecting agricultural land, strengthening mechanisation, and assisting farmer groups. “We look after our Gapoktan, from seeding, fertilising, to post-harvest,” he said.
However, the challenges are not over. Seasonal changes, the threat of drought, land conversion, and distribution of harvests still have to be faced.
Therefore, mapping of drought-prone areas, pipe installation, well construction, utilisation of raw water sources, and distribution of pumps continue to be carried out. Central Java has also received around 17,000 pumps to be distributed according to regional needs.
The Head of the Central Java Provincial Agriculture and Livestock Service, Defransisco Dasilva Tavares, reminded that abundant production needs to be balanced with distribution.