Bantul paddy farmers switch to sand mining

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Bantul

Farmers in southern coastal areas of Bantul, Yogyakarta, are abandoning their traditional ways of rice paddy planting and are turning to sand mining.

Many Bantul farmers have begun excavating their rice fields in search of sand. This practice has proved more profitable than rice growing.

Rice fields along the Opak River in Sanden and Kretek districts are dotted with holes, the result of farmers digging some 50 centimeters before hitting sand. This new practice has raised fears the land will no longer be fit to grow rice.

"We mine sand as much as we can," said Rintono, a sand miner from Srigading village in Sanden.

Increased demand for sand for use in Yogyakarta's reconstruction efforts following the May 27 earthquake was what initially prompted farmers to adopt sand mining.

The quake hit Yogyakarta and Central Java, with Bantul being the worst affected.

"All we have to do is dig up our rice fields and trucks are waiting in line to pick up the sand. We don't have to work to sell the sand, it's sold right away," he said.

Rintono said with help he could fill between six and nine trucks with sand at Rp 200,000 (US$22) to Rp 300,000 per truck. Between Rp 25,000 and Rp 50,000 is given to the rice field owner.

"After considering all expenses, such as meals, we can earn around Rp 200,000 a day. On busy days we can earn Rp 250,000, while on slow days we make around Rp 100,000," he said.

Sukamto, another Srigading villager, said rice growing was not profitable, especially considering the current lack of adequate rain.

"We have to pump water to our field once a week so the paddy can grow and for that we have to spend money on fuel. Besides, rice prices are very low during harvest," he said.

Sukamto said the possibility of rendering his rice fields unusable in the future, a result of sand mining, did not concern him. "If we can't plant paddy again, we'll just turn it into a pond," he said.

Bantul regency administration has been unable to stop the growing practice.

Widjaya, head of the environmental supervision and recovery subdivision of Bantul's Environmental Impact Management Agency, said a local ordinance to regulate sand mining activities on private land had yet to be addressed.

He said the regency's administration was restricted to informing residents of the need to maintain a practice of environmental sustainability.

Sand mining could degrade the quality of water in areas around converted rice farms and may also worsen drought conditions, he said. .

"Since the mining activity is conducted near coastal areas, it may also cause the intrusion of seawater."