Slamet Susanto and Panca Nugraha, Yogyakarta Mataram – With more than 100 hectares of agricultural land converted to residential use every year in Bantul regency, production of dried unhusked rice (GKG) has declined.
The decrease in the harvest reportedly reaches 1,800 tons each year and if no efforts are made to curb the trend, the regency could face a food crisis, experts warn.
"One hectare of rice field on average yields 18 tons of GKG. If Bantul loses up to 100 hectares of farmland each year, it could lose 1,800 tons of GKG," the head of the agribusiness infrastructure and facilities division of the Bantul Forestry, Livestock and Agricultural Agency, Agus Hudi Sunagiyo, said recently.
Most of the converted farmland, he said, was turned into residential areas by individuals and developers. The total 16,500 hectares of farmland in Bantul could dwindle further if the issue was neglected, Agus said.
"The rate at which the area of farmland is shrinking is quite high. Our food stock is currently safe but if this pace of conversion continues, our food security would be at stake," he said.
Data from the Bantul Forestry, Livestock and Agricultural Agency showed that Bantul currently produced 190,357 tons of GKG annually, more than enough to meet demand in the regency.
The agency said it had taken steps to curb the conversion of farmland and was currently incentivizing farmers by offering them free land certification if they agreed to not convert their land for the next 10 years. "We have issued land titles to 659 farmers in an effort to curb farmland conversion," Agus said.
The decrease in GKG production in Bantul is also being blamed on the recent practice by farmers of switching from growing rice to more economically viable produce.
In West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), the NTB Prosecutor's Office said it would assist local administrations salvage idle state-owned land controlled by investors.
"Provincial administration records show that around 15,000 hectares of land have been controlled by investors for years, but are neglected. We will help the local administrations recover the state assets, including the idle land," NTB chief prosecutor Didiek Darmanto said Tuesday at an event to sign a memorandum of understanding with the NTB administration at the governor's office in Mataram.
Didiek said the MoU was a way for prosecutors to help the administration in legal and administrative matters, including legal steps to recover state assets.