New policy needed to end conversion of paddy fields
New policy needed to end conversion of paddy fields
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Agriculture experts say the government and local administrations
must launch measures to attract investment to regions outside
Java to prevent paddy fields from being converted into industrial
and residential developments.
"As long as investment activities are concentrated in Java
island, the government's effort to stop the conversion of paddy
fields will not succeed," H.S. Dillon of the Center for
Agriculture Policy Studies told The Jakarta Post Tuesday.
He was commenting on a report in the Kompas daily newspaper
Monday that President Megawati Soekarnoputri had called for an
end to the conversion of fertile agricultural land, particularly
in Java, to avoid a future food crisis.
Experts have long voiced concerns that the rapid conversion of
paddy fields in Java, one of the country's main rice production
centers, threatened the nation's food security. Rice is the main
staple food of most Indonesians.
Dillon also said that concerted measures to boost farmers
income was also essential as farmers would be tempted to sell
their land to developers if they could not make much profit from
rice.
"I welcome President Megawati Soekarnoputri's call to stop the
conversion of rice fields, but it really needs a comprehensive
policy, the issuance of a Presidential Decree can't even stop it
(the conversion)," Dillon said.
He also said the government must develop infrastructure
outside Java to attract investors to the regions.
Indonesian Farmer's Union (HKTI) chairman Siswono Yudhohusodo
concurred.
He said that local administrations in Java must set up strict
regulations to ban the use of paddy fields for the industrial
sector.
Siswono said that the massive conversion of paddy fields in
Java could threaten food security in the country.
Many agricultural experts have repeatedly called on the
government to boost farmers' productivity by providing incentives
to encourage them to plant more rice and reduce dependence on
imported products.
Indonesia achieved self sufficiency in rice production in 1984
but since then rice output has been unable to meet demand due to
the shrinking paddy fields area and rising population.
Data from the Central Bureau of Statistic (BPS) showed that in
1983, the country's rice fields comprised 16.7 million hectares.
Figures from The Ministry of Agriculture predicted that this
year's unhusked rice would reach some 53 million tons with the
total harvest area of just 12 million hectares.
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Paddy fields area and unhusked rice output estimates in 2002 per province
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Province Total area (ha) Production (tons)
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Aceh 377,963 1,455,198
North Sumatra 992,730 3,955,468
West Sumatra 420,384 1,653,175
Riau 172,210 569,717
Jambi 202,018 670,816
South Sumatra 580,574 2,244,680
Bengkulu 103,284 344,259
Lampung 473,664 1,793,956
DKI Jakarta 3,323 15,962
West Java 2,211,641 11,143,718
Central Java 1,559,824 8,045,396
DI Yogyakarta 134,796 683,888
East Java 1,609,963 8,475,921
Bali 145,076 784,035
NTB 329,871 1,433,979
NTT 122,569 476,224
West Kalimantan 244,259 922,609
Central Kalimantan 166,928 569,808
South Kalimantan 457,468 1,600,137
East Kalimantan 94,065 333,990
North Sulawesi 128,181 531,158
Central Sulawesi 205,862 701,665
South Sulawesi 898,875 4,032,505
South East Sulawesi 107,860 358,200
Maluku 18,613 54,590
Papua 38,000 148,958
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Total 11,800,000 53,000,000
Source: The Ministry of Agriculture