Socio-economic characteristics of farmers on the existence of floating-rice cultivation demonstration plots in flood prone area in Bojonegoro, East Java

Abstract

Some parts of Bojonegoro Regency along the Bengawan Solo River experience flooding every year due to its downstream area. This leads to a drowning in the rice field areas for several months in the rainy season. As the consequence, the rice fields cannot function well in the agricultural cultivation process. One of the ways to adapt to this condition is cultivating floating rice. However, the further research on the social economic characteristics of the farmers in their accordance to the technological advancement needs to be conducted. This article aims to study the social economic characteristics of the farmers on the existence of the demonstration plots of floating rice cultivation. The method used in this research includes the demonstration plots and farmers survey. The surveyed respondents were 200 farmers living 3 km away from the demonstration plots. The findings show that the characteristics in which respondent farmers are dominated by unproductive ages, low education, low income, limited land tenure, and the lack of information shall be the obstacles in developing floating rice cultivation. This is due to the relatively high operational cost for making floating medium and caring plants different from others. The farmers’ mindset tendency to give up to the natural condition is difficult to change when adapting to flood conditions.

Readiness of farmer groups to adopt the floating rice cultivation in Bojonegoro Regency, East Java Province

“…The qualitative method with a descriptive approach was applied in this research, based on the farmers around the demonstration plots (demplots) in Karangdayu Village, Baureno Sub-district, Bojonegoro Regency [11]. The floating rice cultivation system is a new form of innovation in growing rice, which is informed to farmers in areas always affected by flooding in Bojonegoro Regency [7]. Demplots as places of learning, information dissemination and and the process of spreading ideas is vital in the adoption of floating rice cultivation technology.…”

“…The operational costs of floating rice cultivation are not low, compared to the economic condition of the farmer households in the area. The highest household income is less than IDR 1,000,000 / month [7].…”

“…Farmer who have a high level education can improve their ability to obtain information, process information and use information relevant to the new technology adoption activity [18,19]. The average level of education of demonstrators and farmer groups is relatively low (elementary schoolgraduated) where it is the same as the average education of farmers in the region [7]. The relatively low level of education affects the ability of demonstrators to properly communicate demplots to other farmers in the vicinity.…”

“…The remaining 32.58% of the area consists of paddy fields which are mostly located along the Bengawan Solo River [5]. If a flood happens, food crops will be water-logged, washed away, damaged and dead and this condition causes crop failure [6,7]. Food crops that are submerged by floods will occur every year from December to April.…”

Floating Rice Cultivation: a Solution to Reduce Crop Failure in Flood-Prone Areas

“…Adaptation is one of the actions that can reduce vulnerability to flooding due to climatic changes [11]. The floating rice cultivation method is one of the solutions implemented as an adaptation effort to reduce crop failure to flooding in Bangladesh [12] and Vietnam [13].…”