Ministry of Agriculture: Community-Based Rice Field Expansion to Boost Local Economy
The Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) has emphasised that the community-based rice field expansion programme, which has been rolled out, serves as an instrument for developing new agricultural land to support food security and enhance community economies.
Hermanto, the Director General of Agricultural Land and Irrigation at the Ministry, explained that the economic improvement of farmers is driven by the opening of new agricultural lands, providing opportunities for production and additional income. He also noted the strengthening of farmers’ economic institutions to ensure that the added value of agricultural products remains within the local community.
“The programme is designed to open new agricultural land on idle lands or swamp areas that have the potential to be developed into food production areas, involving the community, farmer groups, and local communities as the primary actors in the planning, management, and utilisation processes,” he stated during the Kalimantan Rice Field Expansion Coordination Meeting in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, on Saturday.
According to Hermanto, the community-based approach is applied so that the development of new rice fields is not solely oriented towards increasing agricultural land area, but also considers the certainty of ‘clean and clear’ land status, economic benefits for the community, and the sustainability of land management.
In its implementation, the programme emphasises the involvement of indigenous communities through deliberation and consent regarding the use of land located within customary rights areas (hak ulayat). This step is taken to ensure that land development proceeds in accordance with regulations while providing legal certainty for the communities involved.
The Ministry of Agriculture is encouraging the strengthening of the local economy through the management of agricultural production by local residents. Harvests from the developed lands are directed towards strengthening farmers’ economic institutions so that the economic benefits of agricultural activities can be enjoyed more widely by the communities surrounding the development sites.
In addition to creating new farming business opportunities, Hermanto noted that the programme is reinforced through the formation of ‘Food Brigades’ (Brigade Pangan) involving the younger generation and millennial farmers in agricultural production activities. The involvement of these groups is expected to support the application of technology and innovation to increase productivity and farming efficiency.
To support the programme’s sustainability, the Ministry of Agriculture provides assistance to farmers and agricultural institutions through human resource capacity building, technical cultivation training, farm management, and improved access to agricultural information.
Hermanto stated that government support for farming communities is also realised through the provision of agricultural facilities, including agricultural tools and machinery (alsintan), superior seeds, dolomite fertiliser, and subsidised fertilisers. Furthermore, the government is building supporting infrastructure such as access roads for rice fields, irrigation networks, and drainage to ensure smooth agricultural production. The government is also strengthening post-harvest partnerships by absorbing community paddy harvests to maintain price stability and provide market certainty for farmers.
“The community-based rice field expansion programme is aimed at creating new productive land sustainably, strengthening community food independence, and simultaneously opening opportunities to increase farmers’ income through land management that involves local communities,” concluded Hermanto.