Central Java Government Revives 12-Year Idle Land Through Revola Programme
The Central Java provincial government is reviving idle land through the ‘Revola Jateng Optimis’ programme, with one of the pilot projects located in Susukan Village, Banjarnegara Regency. The site was inspected and inaugurated by Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi.
The programme aims not only to reactivate land that has been abandoned for over a decade but also to create new economic opportunities for the community and secure the future of agriculture. Governor Luthfi expressed his hope that the programme can be replicated across all 35 regencies and cities in the province, as he believes many areas still have unproductive land that could support food security and self-sufficiency.
‘The core aim is to wake up these sleeping lands and cultivate them sustainably by involving the community and various stakeholders,’ Luthfi said in a written statement on Monday.
In Susukan Village, the programme utilises an integrated smart farming concept on a 10-hectare plot. The land is planted with coffee and avocado trees to prevent erosion, alongside horticultural crops, rice paddies, fish ponds, and chicken and goat farms. The management incorporates smart farming technology operated by millennial farmers.
‘Everything is interconnected and mixed, so the end result is community prosperity, zero unemployment, and fully utilised land,’ he added. He noted that collaboration between various parties is expected to revitalise the local economy and serve as a model for poverty alleviation.
Susukan Village Head Hasyim Abdullah said the community is enthusiastic about the programme, as it has turned idle land into a productive asset. The initiative allows residents to use agricultural and livestock products for their own consumption or for sale, while the coffee and avocado plants also aid in land conservation.
‘Revola also empowers the poor families in our village. Since the programme has only been running for a month, for now the chicken eggs are being used to improve nutrition, but in the future it will increase income for poor families,’ he said.
Farmer representative Nur Fauzi added that the programme has been a great help, as the land had not been optimally cultivated for 12 years. Previously a former tea plantation, the land has now been converted for coffee, avocado, and horticultural farming. ‘I am involved in goat and chicken farming, fisheries, and planting coffee, avocados, and horticulture like chillies, aubergines, and rice,’ he said. Fauzi also expressed gratitude for the involvement of young farmers, noting that the smart farming technology allows them to operate drones, irrigation systems, and soil analysis tools.