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ASSESSRIENT OF RICE-FISH FARMING SYSTEM IN INDONESIA
h1.O. Adnyana, D. K. S. Swastika, and W. sudanal
With the changing strategy of the Government of Indonesia to
diversify the agricultural development program from a single
commodity of rice, the technology of rice-fish was introduced
primarily in West Java. Sobong District took the leadership in this
technology with large numbers of farmers adopting this new farming
system. A study of the impact of this technology indicated greater
efficiency in input use, increased rice yields and farm incomes,
increased consumption of fish as well as increased capital
accumulation among the farmers. Based on the potential of this new
technolo~, strong operational actions must be taken at the national
level and research effort to further improve the technology must be
continued.
The Government of Indonesia has changed the strategy of future agricultural
development from a single-commodity approach to a more diversified approach to
sustain rice self-sufficiency and increase farm income. Rice-fish farming system is an
improved practice that makes more efficient use of agricultural resources in lowland
rice areas.
The rice-fish farming system (RFFS) has been traditionally practiced in
IndonesiB since the middle of the 19th century. It was started with some trials
conducted by students in the Cianjur and Singaparna Districts of West Java. The
students tried to use the remaining water in the ricefields by rearing fish after the
wet season (WS) rice was harvested. They improved the farming system from rice -
fallow to rice - fish. After they graduated, they introduced the rice-fish farming
system and the rice + fish farming system (rice-cum-fish) to their respective villages.
Fish production from ricefields rose from 19,082 t in 1968 to 29,120 t in 1979,
and to 87,414 t in 1987 (CBS 1976-89). As shown in Table 1, the contribution of rice
- fish to total fish production has increased annually. In 1987, RFFS accounted for
47.3% of total freshwater fish production.
The RFFS is considered relevant to future agricultural development
programs of Indonesia because it sustains land productivity, increases incomes,
and improves the quality of food of rural people (Fagi et a1 1989). An impact study
on RFFS was conducted at Binong Sub-District, West Java. This study examined the
efficiency of use of inputs in rice production, labor allocation, rice yields, farm
income, food and nonfood expenditures, and productive and nonproductive
accumulation of assets.
l ~ ~ efor n Agricultural c ~ Research and Development (BORIF), Bogor, Indonesia.
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