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A terraced paddy-field in Argapura, Majalengka, West Java. (Shutterstock/File)
A
mid the discourse over food self-sufficiency and land-use change, a presidential decree that aims to prevent further conversion of agricultural lands is being prepared and is expected to be enacted before the end of this year.
Previously, in late October, the Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry announced that 645,855 hectares of rice fields had been replaced between 2013 and 2018 and today only 7,105 million ha of agricultural lands are left. Land conversion to non-agricultural purposes mainly occurred because of public infrastructure development and industrial expansion.
The decree is to stipulate the designation of eight provinces, namely West Sumatra, Banten, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, Bali and West Nusa Tenggara, as the “national barns”. The extent of agricultural lands in these provinces would amount to 70 percent of agricultural lands nationwide.
After the enactment of the decree, regional governments in those provinces are obliged to prepare spatial plans and to follow them in issuing land permits. The designated agricultural lands are to consequently be legally restricted against being converted to non-agricultural purposes.
