Tanzania embraces new system of growing rice

Deutsche Welle, 19 December 2013

Residents of Morogoro,Tanzania,have adapted a new system of growing rice that is weather friendly and cost effective.

Until recently, farmers in this village located 218km (135 miles) from the capital Dar es Salaam, believed it was impossible to grow rice without flooding the field, but due to water shortages, the new technique known as 'System of Rice Intensification' (SRI), reduces the need to supply water to the fields.

With this system seedlings are grown in a non-flooded nursery and replanted, at a shallow depth of only 1-2 cm deep in a paddy field.

The plot is then left to dry until cracks become visible when another thin layer of water is introduced, unlike in the past when large amounts of water were supplied in the field.

As the rice seedlings grow some farmers irrigate every evening, others leave the fields to dry over a 3-8 day period, depending on soil and climate conditions.

With this system farmers have been able to reduce on the use of chemical fertilizers and production costs and as a result, their incomes have greatly improved.

Happy farmers

Mwajuma Ramadhani, a farmer from Kiroka village can now plan for her children's education better than before as she doesn't have to worry about food for her family anymore.

The 47-year-old widow is among farmers who can testify on the benefits of the new system. “I am very happy with this technique because since I started using it, my crop yields have gone up, she told DW,” I can now get enough food for my family and sell the surplus.”

From her humble beginnings, Ramadhani hardly got 5 bags of rice per acre when she was still using the old method, but with SRI her yields have remarkably improved.

“I harvested 30 bags of rice last season and that was the highest since I started using this method” she said.

Morogoro Rural Agriculture Field Officer who oversees farming activities in the village, Edith Kija told DW that with SRI paddy seedling can thrive well with minimum soil moisture.

“We tell them to keep a distance of 25cms between paddy seedlings to provide room for the robust growth and redistribution of the stems,” she said.

Every farmer in Morogoro has a positive story to tell about SRI because the new technique has not only enabled them to conserve land but also be mindful about the effects of climate change.

International support

Under the project,' Strengthening the capacity for climate Change Adaptation through Sustainable Land and Water Management', the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has trained 268 farmers with multiple skills to prevent soil erosion, reduce deforestation and manage water and soil fertility.

FAO representative to Tanzania Diana Tempelman, told DW that the agency promotes conservation agriculture in Tanzania with the view to reduce carbon emissions and also to increase carbon sequestration in the soil.

“We are aiming to work together with local populations in Tanzania who can identify crop varieties suitable for drier circumstances,” she said.

Fighting soil erosion

To address soil erosion, farmers in Tanzania have been taught to dig contours bunds locally known in the Swahili language as ‘Fanya Chini' in order to maintain soil fertility.

“We trained them how to align the contours using local tools, we also encouraged them to grow barrier crops including pineapples and bananas to strengthen the bunds,” said Henry Mahoo, a professor of agricultural engineering who supervised the project.

Rajabu Juma is one of the veteran farmers at Kiroka who finds water and soil management skills useful as he applies them on his farm.

“My friends see digging of trenches as an inconvenience, but I have seen the benefit since I am able to retain water and soil fertility,” he said.

The 60-year-old is among Kiroka farmers who have accepted multiple interventions to protect their livelihoods.

Climate change impacts

According to Economics of Climate Change study published in 2011, the country's average temperature has increased over the last 30 years with rainfall becoming erratic.

The government estimates that, without proper adaptation, yields from crops like maize could fall by up to 16% by 2030 which translates into a million tonne per year.

According to Prof. Mahoo, climate change has triggered the dwindling of water resources which have affected irrigation schemes thus causing water conflicts.

“We may not be the major cause of climate change but since it is a global issue we are entangled,” he said.

Prof. Mahoo said rice intensification system has been effective to most farmers in the lowlands who are affected by water shortages.“

Most farmers are better off with this method because rice production can increase up to four folds, last year we had a farmer who produced11.6 tonnes of rice per hectare,” he said.

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UNESCO Urges Bali to Pass Bylaw Protecting Subak Rice Fields

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana, November 26, 2012

A tourist walks past a paddy rice field in Jatiluwih, Bali, in May. The Balinese
 traditional irrigation and farming system, also known as Subak, was officially
 named as a UNESCO world heritage site during a meeting of the UN's cultural
agency in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (EPA Photo/Made Nagi)

               

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Bali’s terraced “subak” rice fields need to be protected from encroaching development, the United Nation’s cultural agency UNESCO urged on Monday, warning that the world heritage sites faced similar threats as Sumatra's disappearing rain forests.

The agency pushed for Bali administration to issue a bylaw preventing the conversion of subak rice paddies for the construction of hotels or other tourism-focused facilities. UNESCO named the island’s subak rice paddies a world heritage site in May.

“We’ve visited four districts whose subak fields have been named a world heritage and asked the district heads to issue a bylaw in line with [UNESCO’s] global guidelines [for world heritage sites],” Arief Rachman, chairman of the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO, told the Antara News Agency.

The cooperatively managed canal system dates back to the Ninth Century and reflects the philosophical concept Tri Hita Karana, which focuses on bringing together the spirit, human and natural worlds. There are some 303 hectares of subak rice paddies still in existence, according to tourism officials.

“The subak system of democratic and egalitarian farming practices has enabled the Balinese to become the most prolific rice growers in the archipelago despite the challenge of supporting a dense population,” UNESCO explained on its website.

The island’s administration has drafted the conservation bylaw, but is still waiting for public officials to endorse it, Bali Tourism Agency head Ida Bagus Kade Subhiksu said.

Bali’s large tourism industry has taken a toll on the subak rice fields as local residents choose to work in the hotel and restaurant industries instead of farming rice, he said. The farms themselves are being sold off to hotel developers eager to build on new land.

“The number of farmers is also getting low because more residents choose to work at hotels now,” Subhiksu said. “According to a survey we did, many farmers’ children did not want to be farmers when they grow up.”

UNESCO named Sumatra’s rain forests as a world heritage site in 2004, citing the once-lush forests’ biodiversity. But after years of deforestation, the cultural agency was forced to place the forests on its “Danger List.”

“Tropical rainforests in Sumatra are facing a threat to be removed from the world heritage list because of development activities, which have led to forest clearings,” Arief said.

Indonesia Space Agency Pooh-Poohs Idea that Aliens Behind Crop Circle

Jakarta Globe, Candra Malik | January 24, 2011

Hundreds of curious visitors have flocked to a small rice field in central Java to witness
what could be Indonesia’s first documented crop circle, an occurrence attributed by some
to close encounters of the Alien kind. (JG Photo/Boy T Harjanto)

Yogyakarta. Hundreds of curious visitors have flocked to a small rice field in central Java to witness what could be Indonesia’s first documented crop circle, an occurrence attributed by some to close encounters of the Alien kind.

(JG Photo/Boy T Harjanto)

Ngadiran, one of six farmers who owns the land in Slemen where the crop circle measuring 70 meters in diameter was found on Sunday afternoon, told the Jakarta Globe on Monday that he had not seen what had caused the distinctive pattern but others may have.

“According to several residents, they saw a tornado on Saturday evening. On Sunday afternoon, we saw the footprint in our fields,” Ngadiran said.

He would not say if he believed that an unidentified flying object (UFO) was behind the crop circle, which contains a number of symbols.

The farmers have fenced off the area to prevent their fields from being trampled by sightseers, while police have set up cordons.

Thomas Djamaluddin, the head of atmospheric sciences and chief of astronomy research at the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (Lapan), doubted, however, that the Slemen crop circles were an indication that humankind had been visited by aliens.

(JG Photo/Boy T Harjanto)

“We will not send investigators to the scene because we suspect the crop circle involves human invention, not natural phenomena, nor scientific phenomena associated with outer space creatures commonly referred to as aliens,” Thomas said.

Budi Waluyo, head of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geology Agency (BMKG) in Yogyakarta, said the agency had no records of a tornado in the special province or its surrounding areas on Saturday and Sunday.

He said even if a tornado did occur, it would leave a distinctive snaking trail, not a crop circle.

Related Articles:

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UFO-related "crop circle" found In Yogyakarta rice field

UFO trace?: A large circle and geometric pattern local residents say were
created by a UFO have been found in a rice field in Krasakan hamlet in Sleman,
Yogyakarta..(Tribun Jogja)

Mayan Prophecies and Crop Circles - An Extraordinary Connection

More Crop Circle articles ....

UFO-related "crop circle" found In Yogyakarta rice field

Antara News, Senin, 24 Januari 2011 02:33 WIB

Photo crop circle in rice cultivation areas Berbah, Sleman, DI Yogyakarta,
the alleged UFO landing site. (TRIBUNJOGJA.COM / Hendi Kurniawan)

Sleman, Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - A unique "crop circle", popularly believed to be the footprint of an unidentified flying object (UFO) was discovered in Rejosari village, Jogotirto, Berbah subdistrict, Sleman district, Yogyakarta province, on Sunday.

Crop circle in Yogyakarta

Kompas.com quoted a Rejosari villager named Basori as saying that he had heard a strange noise like that of a helicopter on Saturday at 10.30 PM West Indonesia Time landing on a rice field near his house.

Basori, whose house was located on the northern part of the crop circle-marked rice field said he heard the flying object`s sound for thirty minutes.

"The sound was heard for thirty minutes but at the moment I didn`t think much of it I thought it was only the sound of a passing helicopter," said the 41-year-old Basori.

The man`s confession was confirmed by Ayu Rukini, 32. "I also heard the sound. At the time, I and my husband were wathing TV. I thought it was an air force helicopter on a training flight," said Basori`s wife.

The crop circle at the rice field that certain people in the world frequently associated with UFOs was first observed by Yudi, 20.

Yudi was quoted by Kompas.com as saying that he first saw the crop circle when passing the rice field on his way to work on Sunday at 05.00 AM local time.

"When passing the rice field, I saw the paddies fall down but they formed a neat, orderly pattern," he said adding that he had not heard the sound Basori and his wife, Ayu Rukini, had claimed on Saturday night.

Yudi said he sat near Basori`s house from Saturday evening to early Sunday at 03.00 AM but he heard nothing. "During the night, there was no rainfall... But on Sunday morning, there was this pattern (crop circle) in the middle of the rice field," Yudi said.

This crop circle could clearly be seen from the peak of a hill on the northern part of the rice field. Locals called the hill "Mount Suru", he said.

Tens of people who were eager to see the unprecedented phenomenon climbed the slippery hill, including Syamsul Bahri, 37. Bahri said the crop circle was a sign of Almighty God`s greatness.

"Whether a UFO has indeed landed here, I don`t know precisely. What is clear is that this is a sign of God`s greatness. Maybe Almighty Allah (God) wants to warn mankind here to take care of His creation, nature," said the resident of Beloran village, Madurejo, Prambanan, Sleman district.

UFO trace?: A large circle and geometric pattern local residents say were created by a UFO
have been found in a rice field in Krasakan hamlet in Sleman, Yogyakarta..(Tribun Jogja)

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Govt prepares 2 million ha of land for food security

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 01/09/2011

The government has prepared two million hectares of land to bolster the nation’s food security progam in the face of extreme weather and skyrocketing food prices.

Agriculture Minister Suswono said on Saturday that the land would located be outside Java Island, in Marauke, Papua.

“Out of two million hectares, one million hectares will be for paddy fields, while the rest will be for sugarcane and soy beans,” Suswono said.

The program would also used land from the Forestry Ministry as well as abandoned land designated by the National Land Agency (BPS).

The government would also provide 1,000 drying machines to farmers under the program.

New Year’s hope

The Jakarta Post, Fri, 01/01/2010 8:08 PM

91-year-old Rachmad cultivates his rice paddy on the first day of 2010 in Oro-oro Ombo village, East Java, on Friday. He and other farmers expect they will reap good harvests this year. (JP/Wahyoe Boediwardhana)

Floods inundate 30,000 ha of rice fields in Lebak

Antara News, Sunday, November 29, 2009 22:31 WIB

Lebak, Banten (ANTARA News) - A total of 30,000 hectares of rice fields in Lebak district, Banten province are inundated by flood water as a result of three days of rain on Tuesday trough Thursday this week.

"The floods damaged paddy fields and caused an estimated loss of hundreds of millions to the local people," natural disaster mitigation task force chief for Lebak, Kaprawi, said over the weekend.

The floods that hit Lebak regency affected 10 subdistricts, namely Manasalam, Malingping, Banjarsari, Cijaku, Celeles, Leuwidamar, Cimarga, Rangkasbitung, Cibada and Kalanganyar.

Farmers need a hand: Minister

The Jakarta Post, JAKARTA | Mon, 03/02/2009 10:34 AM

Despite the massive potential of Indonesia’s agriculture industry, farmers still face many difficulties gaining access to capital from banks, a minister says.

“The banking sector is still reluctant to provide credit to farmers. This is a pity because Indonesia is one of the world’s major players in terms of its agricultural commodity industries,” Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said at the launch of an agriculture expo event last Friday.

According to the Bank Indonesia website, last year the Indonesian banking sector extended around Rp 236.8 trillion (US$19.75 billion) in loans to the agriculture industry. This amount represents around one-third of the total loans disbursed by the bank (around Rp 736 trillion).

Despite these seemingly respectable proportions, last year’s loans to agriculture businesses — largely channelled into the country’s top export commodities — in fact represent a decline from the 2007 total of Rp 237.7 trillion, defying the more than 30 percent growth in loans disbursed overall from 2007 to 2008.

In the end, credit difficulties hinder local middle-up scale businesses from investing in or venturing into the industry, Anton said.

“Indonesia has one of the biggest agriculture industries in the world, but there are only a few local middle-up scale business ventures that have invested in the industry.”

“Local businesses should realize that the huge potential of our agriculture industry could enable us to feed the world if we wanted to.”

During his speech at the expo, Adi Sasono, chairman of the Indonesian Cooperatives Council (Dekopin), shared Anton’s sentiments, saying that the agriculture industries needed to start thinking of the bigger picture.

“Now is not a time to think locally. Indonesia’s agriculture industry needs to start thinking about how we can become the top regional players,” Adi said.

“We have more than enough natural resources for the bio-energy industry and organic farming, both of which are growing trends worldwide. That is why it is important for the government to push for easier access to credit in the real sectors, especially in the agriculture sector.”

According to Ryan Kiryanto of Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), there are several factors that can prevent banks from choosing to provide loans to farmers.

“Banks may feel reluctant to give out loans after reviewing the worthiness or business prospects of proposals submitted. If there are legal documents or collateral missing it can make banks less willing,” he said.

“However, these issues can be resolved through partnerships between the farmers and middle-up business ventures. Those business ventures would become the ones guaranteeing the collateral of loans.”

Guaranteeing the sustainability of farming land is also another major problem facing the industry.

In 1986, the Agriculture Ministry recorded 7.7 million hectares of rice paddies in Indonesia. By 1996 there had only been a slight increase in that amount, to 8.25 million hectares, but by 2000 the total had dropped back to 7.79 million hectares.

Lawmakers are currently working on passing a bill which aims to protect the sustainability of agricultural lands and prevent farming zones from being used for industrial or commercial purposes. The bill would also contain clauses on the provision of easier access to bank loans so that farmers can borrow money to buy their own land. (hdt)

Floods Damage 50,000 Hectares Of Paddy

The Jakarta Globe, Arti Ekawati, February 10, 2009

Just a little over a month into 2009, some 50,000 hectares of rice have already been completely destroyed by floods this year, exceeding the national annual average in recent years , the Agriculture Ministry said on Monday. 

And the rainy season is not yet over. 

“About 40,000 hectares per year were affected in each of the last five years,” said Sutarto Alimoeso, the ministry’s director general of food crops. “But this year, we’ve already lost some 50,000 hectares.” 

Sutarto warned that as the rainy season still had at least another month to go, the eventual losses could eventually turn out to be even more severe. He added that the monetary value of the losses had yet to be calculated. 

The worst floods have occurred in Aceh Province and West Kalimantan Province, as well as important rice-growing centers throughout the island of Java. 

Minister Anton Apriyantono said on Monday that a total of 228,000 hectares of rice had been affected by floods, and that the ministry was providing farmers with assistance in the form of seeds and fertilizer for the next planting season. 

“We’ve had fertilizer and seeds ready for distribution because we get floods almost every year,” Anton said at a hearing with the House of Representatives’ agriculture commission. 

The abnormally wet weather is being caused by La Nina, and is expected to give rise to above-average rainfall through March, said the National Meteorology and Geophysics Agency, or BMG. 

La Nina is a weather phenomenon that produces below-normal temperatures in South Pacific waters, leading to above-normal rainfall in the country. 

However, Anton said the floods would not endanger the national production target of 63.5 million tons of unhusked rice this year, or disrupt planned rice exports, as the ministry had already factored the potential for flooding into its estimates. 

To anticipate the worst, he said, the government had set aside 30,000 tons of rice seeds for affected farmers — enough for the planting of over 1.5 million hectares of rice. 

Arifin Junaidi, chairman of the House agriculture commission, urged the government to simplify the procedures that farmers needed to go through to get fertilizer and seeds. 

After flooding and crop destruction, he said, it usually takes more than six months for government assistance to find its way into the hands of farmers. This is because farmers first must report their needs to their local administrations, which then forward the requests to the ministry. 

“Given the length of time involved, farmers often end up missing the next planting season,” he said. 

Farmers in the main rice-growing hubs can expect two to three harvests per year. Planting occurs between January and March, and June and September. 

Arifin said it would be better for the ministry to directly calculate the needs of farmers based on its assessment of crop damage. 

“The ministry should directly give aid to farmers,” he said. “It would be so much more efficient.”

Rats attack 300 hectares of rice fields in Banyumas

Gus Maryono, THE JAKARTA POST, BANYUMAS | Sat, 01/17/2009 5:25 PM

Farmers in four regencies have been left reeling with failed crops after rats struck 300 hectares of rice paddies in Banyumas, Central Java, over the past two weeks.

On Friday, provincial agriculture agency official Tri Gunawan said rats usually only attacked 2- to 3-month-old rice stalks.

"We don't know the real cause of this.

"Usually the rats attack paddies that do not have the same planting season as others," he said.

The staggered planting seasons mean the rats are constantly supplied with food.

Tri said his office had encouraged farming communities to handle the rats using conventional methods.

ask farmers to ambush the rats together. Although they may not be able to kill them all, at least the effort can help reduce the rat population," he said.

Tri also pointed to the decreasing number of the rats' predators, particularly snakes. has made the rat number keep increasing," he said.

Many villagers hunt snakes for commercial purposes. A single snake can fetch between Rp 20,000 (US$2) and Rp 50,000, depending on the species and size.

The farmers are livid about the rat attacks. is unbelievable. It seems the number of rats never decreases. We kill a lot of them - we put their bodies in sacks. still their numbers remain big. I don't know where they come from," Sumadi, a 34-year-old farmer in Karang Tengah village, Banyumas regency, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

He also vented his fury over the rats entering villagers' homes.

"The whole village has waged war against the rats. They steal food from our kitchens," he said.

He added he could kill up to seven rats a day with rat traps. they get into the house through our windows," he said.

Another farmer, Tukiran, 50, lamented the failed crops on his 5,000-square-meter rice paddy destroyed by the rats.

"I just checked my paddy. It's a mess. We lost big this time," he said.

SBY issues decree on maintaining rice self-sufficiency

Aditya Suharmoko, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 01/02/2009 10:29 AM

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has issued a decree, effective from Jan. 1, 2009, raising the price the government pays to buy rice from local farmers in a bid to ensure national self-sufficiency amid a time of slowing economic activity and a global food crisis.

The presidential decree, issued on Dec. 24, stipulates the government will pay Rp 4,600 per kilogram to buy rice from national farmers, or a 7 percent increase from the current price. The national rice stockpile is controlled by the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).

Meanwhile, the price the government must pay for unhusked paddy (GKGP) increases 9.1 percent to Rp 2,400 per kilogram, and the price of husked paddy (GKG) by 7.2 percent to Rp 3,000 per kilogram.

The government will stabilize domestic rice prices by exporting and importing the grain, thus benefiting farmers and consumers.

Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, produced 38.6 million metric tons of milled rice in 2008, a 5.5 percent increase from 2007, enabling the country with 230 million people to meet national demand, which was 37 million tons last year.

Bulog's total rice stockpile stood at 1.4 million tons at the end of 2008.

Rice output may jump to 40 million tons this year, which would open the door for the country to export a maximum of 2 million tons, which would be the largest amount in 50 years.

The government plans to maintain national rice self-sufficiency this year by encouraging farmers to use certified paddy seeds and fertilizer, according to deputy to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Bayu Krisnamurthi.

Bayu said the government would continue disbursing rice to the poor in 2009.

"We'll provide 15 kilograms of rice over 12 months to 18.5 million poor households," he said.

The presidential decree also encourages investment in rice, but stipulates that owners of rice fields will remain under the supervision of the Investment Coordinating Board.

Bayu said investors should not be allowed to convert existing paddy fields.

Key points in the presidential regulation on rice policy:

1. Encourages use of certified top-quality rice seeds and inorganic or organic fertilizers.
   
   
2. Guarantees aid for farmers suffering losses during post harvest and controls the reduction of irrigation areas.
   
   
3. Facilitates the rehabilitation of land and water catchment areas.
   
   
4. New incentives for investment in rice.
   
   
5. New price for government to buy rice and paddy.
   
   
6. New policies on stockpiling and distributing subsidized rice for the poor, and on the government's control of its rice reserve to stabilize national rice prices, as well as a policy to prepare for emergency situations and disasters.
   
   
7. A policy to stabilize the domestic price of rice.
   
   
8. New export and import policy designed to protect farmers and buyers.

Related Article:

Farmers Group Expects Little Benefit From Increase in Rice Purchase Price

DON’T KNOW WHO TO VOTE FOR

The Jakarta Post | Tue, 12/30/2008 8:42 AM 

  

A farmer sprays pesticide onto his paddy fields in Cilacap, Central Java, on Monday. Fertilizer prices have risen more than 50 percent this year from Rp 60,000 (around US$6) per 50 kilograms to between Rp 90,000 and Rp 100,000. Higher costs have undermined farmers’ incomes, along with less profitable harvest time prices due to speculation by brokers. (JP/Agus Maryono)

Way Kambas river overflows, inundates two Lampung regencies

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 12/28/2008 11:45 AM

The Way Sekampung River in Lampung, South Sumatera, overflowed inundating two Lampung regencies and diplacing hundreds of residents.

"The Way Sekampung overflowed due to heavy rain for the past three days and also tidal waves," Sragi subdistrict head, Tanggun, said, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

The four inundated subdistricts are Sragi, Jabung, Pasir Sakti and Sekampung Udik in East Lampung.

Tempo reported that Bandar Agung village in Sragi and Sumur Kucing village in Pasir Sakti were the worst hit.

The water height at both villages were reportedly up to 2.5 meters.

The recent floods, Lampung's biggest since 1988, have caused hundreds of residents to relocate to higher grounds and set up makeshift camps.

Thousands of hectares of dikes and rice fields were also inundated.

The South and East Lampung regional offices have reportedly distributed medicine and food to victims at makeshift shelters. (amr)

YOUTH BLOSSOMS

The Jakarta Post | Thu, 12/25/2008 9:42 PM 

 

  

Young women from Lelea near West Java's north coast mark their marriagability by participating in the annual Ngarot festival to mark the planting of new rice. Their headdresses are made from hundreds of flowers and weigh several kilograms. The community holds the festival to guarantee a good harvest in the coming season. (JP/Edith A. Johnson)

West Java to get food center, governor

Bandung, W Java (ANTARA News) - The West Java provincial government will build a food center which will also function as a wholesale rice market to cut down the chain of national rice distribution, an official said on Thursday.

"West Java has rice barns, so why must the distribution of our rice depend on other regions? I am sure the food center will become a center of national rice distribution," West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan said.

West Java has a number of potential rice barns in Cirebon, Indramayu, Subang, Karawang, and Bekasi.

"The embryo of food center in Pantura (West Java's northern coastal area) has been there, such as in Indramayu and Subang. It is expected the soon-to-be-formed institution can play a role in rice distribution in the future," he said.

Currently, the Cipinang wholesale rice market plays a role in setting the national rice prices and the distribution of the staple.

According to the results of a research conducted by the Bandung-based Padjadjaran University, some 80 percent of the rice in the wholesale rice market is supplied by West Java, he said.

West Java supplies about 594,742 tons of rice to the Cipinang wholesale rice market per year, he said.

"Once the food center becomes operational, it will increase local farmers' living standards. They will have a strong bargaining power in setting the prices," Heryawan told.

To increase the productivity of paddy field in West Java, he said the province will set aside Rp1.1 trillion in funds to repair irrigation networks in 2009.

The project is particularly aimed at handling water shortages faced by farm land of types III and IV which only produce rice once a year due to the water shortages, he said.

"By doing so, the paddy field of types II and IV can produce rice at least twice a year," he said.

Floods inundate thousands of hectares or rice fields in Lebak

Lebak,  (ANTARA News) - Floods inundated thousands of hectares of rice fields in four sub districts, Lebak district, Banten Province, damaging the crops. 

"Farmers are estimated to suffer a loss of up to hundreds of millions of rupiahs because seedlings must again be replanted," Dede Supriyatna of the Lebak agricultural service, said here on Tuesday. 

The floods affected 614 hectares of rice fields in Wanasalam sub district, 1,081 hectares in Malingping, 25 hectares in Cibadak, and 88 hectares in Cijaku sub district. 

Floodwaters reaching a height of up to 80 centimeters submerged 7-14-day crops. 

Supriyatna has requested the Banten provincial agricultural office to help local farmers affected by the floods by providing them with seedlings to replant their rice fields.

President assures global crisis not to affect agriculture budget

Cibodas, W Java,  (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono assured on Sunday that the current global financial crisis will not affect budget allocation to the country`s agricultural sector next year. 

Speaking at the second jamboree and festival of agriculture information officers here, the president said agricultural subsidy in 2009 would be the same as this year. 

"Last year the agricultural subsidy stood at Rp29 trillion. Next year it will remain at Rp33 trillion despite the global financial crisis," he said. 

The Rp33 trillion subsidy would be used among others to procure subsidized seeds and fertilizers and to maintain irrigation networks, he said. 

The president further reiterated the government`s commitment to regain self-sufficiency in rice production. 

He expressed gratitude to farmers and agriculture information officers for their hard work, enabling the country to raise its rice production by an average of 5 percent over the past four years.

ANOTHER PLANTING SEASON

The Jakarta Post     |  Sat, 11/15/2008 11:16 AM 

  

Sutarno, 26, of Kebasen village in Banyumas regency, Central Java, plows a rice field using a hand tractor to prepare the field for another harvest cycle on Friday. Sutarno is paid per plot, receiving Rp 100,000 (US$8.69) for every bau or 700 square meters, tilled. In a typical day Sutarno can plow two bau. (JP/Agus Maryono)

Tangerang prepares school for farmers

The Jakarta Post, Wed, 11/12/2008 10:42 AM   

TANGERANG: In an attempt to boost rice production in Tangerang regency, the regency administration will establish a field school on agricultural management for farmers in the near future. 

"We have tens of thousands of rice fields. This is Tangerang's main aim: to become a rice production center in the country," Tangerang deputy regent Rano Karno said Tuesday. 

He said the regency administration was well-prepared to become a rice center in the country and that the field school, called Sekolah Lapang Pengelolaan Tanaman Terpadu (SLPPT), would open in the near future. 

He said the field school would accommodate at least 560 groups of farmers from an area of 14,000 hectares out of the regency's total 40,470 hectares of farming land. 

"We hope that with the field school, rice production from every hectare of land will increase by between 1 and 2 tons," he said. -- JP

Subsidized fertilizer disappears from Serang

Serang (ANTARA News) - Subsidized urea and SP36 fertilizers disappear in Serang district, Banten Province, and threaten rice product in this year`s planting season, said Sumarna, a 50-year old local farmer here on Saturday. 

"I have searched shops and contacted distributors but I did not find such kinds of subsidized fertilizer," said Sumarna, the farmer from Cimaung village in Cikeusal subdistrict. 

He said that because of fertilizer scarcity in Serang, rice product in this year`s planting season was feared to decrease or to be destroyed by insect. 

According to him, most of the rice fields in Serang were dependent on rain, and therefore they needed non-organic fertilizer. 

Another farmer, Rahmat (45), said planting season this year has arrived following the arrival of rainy season early this month but subsidized fertilizers were difficult to find. 

Therefore, he expressed hope that regional administration officials would immediately take action to overcome the fertilizer scarcity. 

Meanwhile, H Nurnana, a fertilizer seller, admitted that he had yet to get subsidized fertilizer supply from the distributors in Serang. 

"I have asked several distributors for subsidized fertilizers but so far I have not received them," Nurjana said. 

Fertilizer scarcity is not only experienced by farmers in Serang alone but also in other districts. 

It was reported from Pamekasan district in Madura island, East Java, on Wednesday that fertilizer of various kinds also disappeared from markets there ahead of planting season. 

"We ordered the fertilizer from its agents two weeks ago but to date we have not received it," retailer from Proppo subdistrict, Fathorrahman said in Pamekasan on Wednesday. 

He added Proppo, Larangan, Kadur, Galis, Pademawu, and Palengaan subdistricts in Pamekasan were having fertilizer scarcity at present. 

He said the fertilizer scarcity had made the local farmers to become restless because planting season was near. 

Therefore the farmers in Kadur subdistrict had to postpone growing paddy and corn because their fertilizer has been out of stock. 

"If I start to grow paddy and corn now without fertilizer, I`m afraid the crop will fail," said Sadik, a farmer from Kadur subdistrict, Pamekasan. 

Meanwhile, Pameskasan district trade and industry office chief Atok Suharyanto said the fertilizer scarcity there was due to speculators` trick of play because fertilizer allocation to Pamekasan was not reduced.