{"id":1181,"date":"2016-08-17T04:18:26","date_gmt":"2016-08-17T04:18:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/org.doa.go.th\/aseancrops\/?p=1181"},"modified":"2017-08-07T04:27:23","modified_gmt":"2017-08-07T04:27:23","slug":"channelling-climate-information-services-to-rice-farmers-in-indonesia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/org.doa.go.th\/aseancrops\/?p=1181","title":{"rendered":"Channelling climate information services to rice farmers in Indonesia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Channelling climate information services to rice farmers in Indonesia<\/h1><\/h1><\/div>
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By: Shinta Purnama Sarie<\/p>\n

Climate change challenges among rice farmers in Indonesia\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rice has been feeding the Southeast Asian region\u2019s population for well over 4,000 years. In Indonesia alone, it is the staple food of its 557 million inhabitants. The country is endowed with a tropical climate which provides ideal conditions for rice cultivation. Despite the steady increase in rice production and productivity, the likewise increase in extreme weather events and other climate change-related threats make rice cultivation increasingly risky for the 37.75 million smallholder rice farmers in Indonesia. According to the survey to 251 farmers in Indonesia, sixty nine percent (69%) farmers agree that the main challenge in cultivating rice is pests and diseases, followed by extreme and unpredictable weather, thirty one percent (31%).\u00a0 According to various published studies, climate change also participates in spreading or changing the life cycle of pest and diseases. 1<\/p>\n

Therefore, climate information and related agronomic advisory services are needed as an approach to support rice farmers in making the best management decisions on their farms and increase their adaptive capacities to climate change.<\/p>\n

How farmers make farming decisions to address climate change\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

As early as 3000 BCE, rice has already been being cultivated. In Indonesia, the seedling calendar based on weather information is the main consideration before planting due to the country\u2019s dependence on rainfall. With regard to their use of the seedling calendar, 56% of farmers said that it has been recommended by their farmer friend; 21% farmers said that it\u2019s through government intervention; and 10% said they base it on current weather forecast. After the planting time is set, farmers begin to cultivate with several steps to follow, starting from choosing seed varieties and quality, land preparation, seedling.<\/p>\n