West Java rice farmers and extension staff take part in discussion for improving Rice Crop Manager adoption

Indramayu, West Java – The Rice Crop Manager (RCM) Indonesia Project conducted a focus group discussion (FGD) and key informant interviews (KIIs) to understand the current capacities and constraints of farmers and extension workers regarding RCM on 25 May in West Java.

Balai Penerapan Standar Instrumen Pertanian (BPSIP) West Java, Balai Penyuluhan Pertanian (BPP) Karangampel, Pusat Standardisasi Instrumen Tanaman Pangan (PSITP) and the International Rice Research Institute held the event as part of the project’s effort to develop a suitable capacity building program for the wider dissemination and adoption of RCM in the country. 

RCM, locally known as Layanan Konsultasi Padi (LKP), is a digital agriculture tool that can facilitate extension service delivery through field-specific nutrient and crop management recommendations for farmers. LKP was initially developed in 2015 on a small scale. Through the RCM Indonesia Project, which is funded by South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, LKP is being upgraded and will be disseminated to more rice-growing areas. 

Ten farmers and five extension staff from provincial, sub-district, and village levels participated in the activities. The farmers were introduced to LKP and generated recommendations for their own plots using their smartphones.  The farmers expressed interest in following the LKP recommendations for the upcoming cropping season. However, they noted that other fellow farmers in the area may lack smartphones and internet access. They will need the assistance of extension workers to generate LKP recommendations. 

Other issues gathered from the discussions include the difference in farmers’ practices and the LKP recommendations. Some farmers apply more while others apply less than the LKP recommended fertilizer rates. Some of them base the fertilizer application rates on information handed down to them by their parents or following the practices of farmer leaders in their area. These findings imply the need to convince farmer leaders to use LKP, and continue to influence other farmers to use science-based nutrient management approaches.

FGDs and KIIs will also be held in other RCM Indonesia Project sites in the provinces of East Java, South Sulawesi, North Sumatera, Central Java, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Sumatera.

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