Sleman, Yogyakarta (Antara Bali) - The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has recognized a unique method involving freshwater fish farming in paddy rice, called mina paddy cultivation, as one of the leading global agriculture programs.
"Since August 2015, we have been cooperating with the Indonesian government to improve the results of this combined fishery and agriculture cultivation. The FAO has distributed aid worth US$330 million or Rp 5 billion for the development of mina paddy in Indonesia," FAO Indonesia representative Mark Smulder said here on Wednesday.
Mina paddy is a technique of paddy cultivation cum pisciculture conducted simultaneously in one field.
According to him, the FAO chose two provinces in Indonesia, namely Yogyakarta and West Sumatra, as a pilot region for mina paddy cultivation.
"A total of 50 hectares land was under this pilot area, and 300 farmer groups in the two provinces have been carrying out mina paddy cultivation and obtained satisfactory results," he said.
Smulder was in Yogyakarta to participate in the first harvest of mina paddy in Kandangan village, Sleman district, Yogyakarta, together with 13 delegations from friendly countries of Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor Leste.
The FAO has declared mina paddy farming method as a flagship program not only for Indonesia alone but for the world.
Earlier, the Director General of Aquaculture, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Slamet Soebjakto said the mina paddy program, which combines paddy fields and fish pond, can prevent land conversion.
"Mina paddy cultivation integrates agriculture and fishery sectors, and can prevent land conversion and urbanization," he said.
According to Slamet, mina paddy program should be encouraged to increase production as it can increase community welfare and support national food sovereignty.
Mina paddy can also increase the productivity of rice, and fish and shrimp.
Mina paddy cultivation involves the cultivation of prawns - rice (Ugadi), cultivation of prawns, carp and rice (Ugamedi), cultivation of catfish-rice (Ledi) and cultivation of prawns, koi and rice (Ugakodi). (WDY)
