Sleman Regency Loses Thousands of Hectares of Agricultural Land Due to Land-Use Conversions

Sleman Regency’s Office of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (DP3) has recorded a reduction in agricultural land by 2,222 hectares over the past seven years. Based on DP3 data for 2025, the remaining agricultural land in Sleman stands at 15,915 hectares, a significant drop from 18,137 hectares in 2018.

The shrinkage is driven by widespread land-use conversions. Acting head of Sleman DP3, Rofiq Andriyanto, said much farmland has disappeared as it has been converted for public facilities, tolled roads, housing, or owner-occupied residences.

Land-use conversions of agricultural land must be controlled. According to him, the regulations are in place, but enforcement remains limited.

“There is indeed a legal umbrella. But we have not been able to apply it strictly in Sleman, where land ownership is diverted for residential function,” Rofiq said on Wednesday (4 March 2026).

Data from the Department of Land Affairs and Spatial Planning (Dispertaru) show that farmland converted to residential areas averages around 200 hectares per year. The figure covers only what is recorded through licensing; the reality on the ground could be higher.

The Sleman Regency government has, since 2020, issued a Regional Regulation concerning Sustainable Food and Agricultural Land (LP2B) as an effort to curb land-use conversion. He revealed that the regulation designates around 18,487 hectares of farmland to be protected.

“That LP2B figure was set several years ago. Meanwhile the existing baseline area of paddy fields is around 15,900 hectares,” he said.