Central Java's Agricultural Land Conversion Reaches 17,114 Hectares, Threatening Food Production

The conversion of agricultural land in Central Java has reached 17,114 hectares over the past two years, sparking serious concerns over the loss of food production. The land has been turned into housing, warehouses, petrol stations, and other facilities, according to the provincial government. Head of the Central Java Agriculture and Livestock Office, Defransisco Dasilva Tavares, stated that the scale of land conversion in the province is among the largest in Indonesia. He supports strict legal enforcement against spatial planning violations, noting that regulations prohibit the conversion of productive agricultural land due to its massive impact on production. On average, each hectare of paddy field produces 5.5 tonnes of grain per harvest. The loss of 17,114 hectares therefore equates to a potential production loss of 94,127 tonnes per harvest cycle. This threatens Central Java’s ambitious target of producing 10.5 million tonnes of grain by 2026. Governor Ahmad Luthfi confirmed the government’s commitment to tightening controls on paddy field conversion to maintain the province’s role as a national food barn. He noted that 26 regencies and cities have already met the target for protecting sustainable food agricultural land, while nine other regions are still in the process.