POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya has addressed parliament (Jun 24) about the expected new rice field targets for 2020-2022 in part of the ex-mega rice project landscape that spans some areas of Pulang Pisau and Kapuas regencies in Central Kalimantan Province.
The minister classified these expected new rice field targets into intensification and extensification outcomes, with the potential areas involved covering 165 thousand hectares, more than twice the size of Singapore.
"Existing rice fields make up 85,500 hectares of the total extent. These are targeted for intensification, considering that an area of 57,200 hectares (67%) still needs its irrigation system to be rehabilitated," Minister Nurbaya explained (Jun 28).
"The irrigation system is still good in 28,300 hectares (33%). As such, the key goal of intensification is to rehabilitate the existing irrigation system to boost rice field productivity," she added.
She explained that the intensification target would begin this year, but in a relatively small area of 650 hectares, whereas the extensification target would begin next year.
The following two graphs summarize the intensification and extensification targets presented by Minister Nurbaya to the parliament.
Graph 1 shows the intensification target which is to start in the remaining months of this year, while graph 2 portrays the extensification target which is scheduled to begin in 2021 covering a total area of 79,500 hectares, larger than Singapore.
The intensification target, as displayed in the minister’s presentation slides, requires a budget of almost IDR1 trillion, or around USD70.4 million. Meanwhile, to achieve the extensification target, the government estimates a budget of IDR1.9 trillion, or more than USD134 million.
No peat, no orangutan habitat
Minister Nurbaya confirmed that the areas for the intensification and extensification targets of 165,000 hectares were not peat areas.
"These are alluvial lands, not peat areas. They are utilization zones for agricultural developments," she asserted.
The minister also pointed out that to achieve the intensification and extensification targets, there was no need to relinquish state forest areas because previously they were non-state forest blocks.
She also explained that in an effort to meet the extensification target, it will be necessary to enhance the irrigation network, in terms of both its function and condition, as well as to expand its coverage areas.
"Another key concern for us is to ensure that no Bornean orangutan habitat is targeted for intensification or extensification," she emphasized.
"As to haze-causing fires, this is also one of the principal elements we must anticipate and deal with, because none of us want to deliver poor lessons learned and hand down a bad legacy," the minister cautioned.
Minister Nurbaya said that President Joko Widodo’s administration has taken measurable steps to steer clear of repeating the mistakes made by prior government administrations in utilizing the ex-mega rice project areas.
"The intensification and extensification targets for rice set by the government are definitively in line with all the relevant ecological, economic and social aspects," she said in conclusion.
Parts of the ex-mega rice landscape project were also utilized by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono starting in 2007, including for rice fields, palm oil plantations and other agricultural crops.
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POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya has addressed parliament (Jun 24) about the expected new rice field targets for 2020-2022 in part of the ex-mega rice project landscape that spans some areas of Pulang Pisau and Kapuas regencies in Central Kalimantan Province.
The minister classified these expected new rice field targets into intensification and extensification outcomes, with the potential areas involved covering 165 thousand hectares, more than twice the size of Singapore.
"Existing rice fields make up 85,500 hectares of the total extent. These are targeted for intensification, considering that an area of 57,200 hectares (67%) still needs its irrigation system to be rehabilitated," Minister Nurbaya explained (Jun 28).
"The irrigation system is still good in 28,300 hectares (33%). As such, the key goal of intensification is to rehabilitate the existing irrigation system to boost rice field productivity," she added.
She explained that the intensification target would begin this year, but in a relatively small area of 650 hectares, whereas the extensification target would begin next year.
The following two graphs summarize the intensification and extensification targets presented by Minister Nurbaya to the parliament.
Graph 1 shows the intensification target which is to start in the remaining months of this year, while graph 2 portrays the extensification target which is scheduled to begin in 2021 covering a total area of 79,500 hectares, larger than Singapore.
The intensification target, as displayed in the minister’s presentation slides, requires a budget of almost IDR1 trillion, or around USD70.4 million. Meanwhile, to achieve the extensification target, the government estimates a budget of IDR1.9 trillion, or more than USD134 million.
No peat, no orangutan habitat
Minister Nurbaya confirmed that the areas for the intensification and extensification targets of 165,000 hectares were not peat areas.
"These are alluvial lands, not peat areas. They are utilization zones for agricultural developments," she asserted.
The minister also pointed out that to achieve the intensification and extensification targets, there was no need to relinquish state forest areas because previously they were non-state forest blocks.
She also explained that in an effort to meet the extensification target, it will be necessary to enhance the irrigation network, in terms of both its function and condition, as well as to expand its coverage areas.
"Another key concern for us is to ensure that no Bornean orangutan habitat is targeted for intensification or extensification," she emphasized.
"As to haze-causing fires, this is also one of the principal elements we must anticipate and deal with, because none of us want to deliver poor lessons learned and hand down a bad legacy," the minister cautioned.
Minister Nurbaya said that President Joko Widodo’s administration has taken measurable steps to steer clear of repeating the mistakes made by prior government administrations in utilizing the ex-mega rice project areas.
"The intensification and extensification targets for rice set by the government are definitively in line with all the relevant ecological, economic and social aspects," she said in conclusion.
Parts of the ex-mega rice landscape project were also utilized by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono starting in 2007, including for rice fields, palm oil plantations and other agricultural crops.
RELATED STORIES
