Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) is launching a rice planting acceleration program in key regions, aiming to boost national rice output and strengthen food security. The initiative will target strategic provinces, including Central Java, West Java, and Banten.
Andi Nur Alam Syah, Director General of Agricultural Infrastructure and Facilities at the Ministry, said the program is being rolled out through coordinated efforts between central and regional governments.
“By synchronizing efforts across multiple regions, we’re carrying out simultaneous land preparation and rice planting in potential areas like Central Java and Banten,” Andi said Sunday (May 18), as reported by Antara.
This acceleration is part of a broader strategy to expand the national planted area (LTT) during the critical month of May 2025. “It’s a direct response to President Prabowo’s directive to achieve national food self-sufficiency,” Andi stated.
The Ministry has deployed task forces to various regions to map land plots suitable for immediate intervention. One such area is an 85-hectare plot in Dempelrejo Village, Ngampel District, Kendal Regency, Central Java, which has remained unplanted for over two months due to a lack of agricultural machinery and water access.
“This land couldn’t be processed due to limited equipment and irrigation,” Andi explained. “But with the deployment of four-wheeled tractors from our machinery brigade and support from our pump-based irrigation program, we’ve begun speeding up planting.”
Nine tractors have been mobilized for the effort including eight from the Central Java Provincial Agriculture Office and one from the Kendal Regency Agriculture Office. According to Andi, the government is leveraging all available resources, including existing agricultural machinery and new equipment scheduled for procurement this year.
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Beyond Central Java, the program is also in full swing in Banten Province, where planting has begun in Sawah Luhur, Kasemen District, Serang City. The Ministry is targeting a 15 percent increase in Banten’s planted area from 62,000 hectares to 71,670 hectares, supported by large-scale equipment deployment covering all stages from pre-planting to harvest.
Meanwhile, in West Java, accelerated planting is underway in Karawang Regency. During a working visit on Monday (May 19), Andi noted that tens of thousands of hectares in Karawang could be cultivated ahead of schedule. Discussions with the Karawang Regent indicated the program could cover up to 35,000 hectares of rice fields in the area.
The nationwide rice planting acceleration drive is a key component of Indonesia’s broader efforts to ramp up rice production, safeguard food supply chains, and move closer to its long-term goal of agricultural self-sufficiency.
(Raidi/Agung)
