South Kalimantan Develops Floating Rice Cultivation in Swamplands

The development of floating rice cultivation in swamp areas across South Kalimantan Province has shown promising results, with productivity reaching 6.5 tonnes per hectare. The innovation is aimed at strengthening food security by optimising swamp land that faces significant challenges.

Head of the South Kalimantan Food and Agriculture Service, Syamsir Rahman, stated that the floating rice innovation has delivered encouraging outcomes. “This innovation through floating rice shows promising results. The utilisation of swamp land for floating rice aims to support food security in South Kalimantan,” he said on Wednesday (24/6).

Recent development in Margasari Hilir Village, Candi Laras Utara District, Tapin Regency, demonstrated success with the harvest achieving 6.5 tonnes per hectare. “This success proves that swamp land, which has long faced various challenges, can still be optimised as a source of food production through the application of appropriate technology and assistance,” Syamsir added.

Floating rice is a cultivation innovation where rice is grown on raft media, such as styrofoam, using pots or planting containers specifically designed to adapt to tidal swamp conditions. This system enables farmers to continue planting and harvesting rice during flood seasons or periods of high water levels.

Although not yet implemented on a mass scale, floating rice is now being developed in swamp areas across several regions, including Barito Kuala, Banjar, Tapin, South Hulu Sungai, North Hulu Sungai, and Tabalong. Zainal Abidin, Assistant for Government and People’s Welfare at the Tapin Regional Secretariat, expressed hope that the successful harvest would motivate other farmers to increase agricultural productivity and strengthen regional food security.