IRRC outreach program takes its first steps in Indonesia

An IRRC outreach program started in Indonesia through a national workshop held in mid-July 2006 in Bogor, entitled Indonesia-IRRC dialogue: collaborative research and extension in natural resource management in lowland irrigated rice cropping systems. The workshop provided national-level dialogue between the IRRC and the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD). Some 45 people attended, with a strong representation of extension staff from 14 provincial assessment institutes for agricultural technologies (AIAT).

The workshop was officially opened by Dr. Achmad Suryana (IAARD director general), who strongly endorsed the partnership with the IRRC in developing an outreach program for the delivery of new technologies to rice farmers. “This initiative contributes a new and exciting dimension to the already strong linkages between the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and IAARD,” says Dr. Suryana.

Recent highlights of Indonesian and IRRC collaborative research were presented by Dr. Suyamto (site-specific nutrient management [SSNM]), Dr. Hamdan Pane (weed and labor management), Dr. Sudarmaji (ecologically based rodent management), and Dr. Ridwan Rachmat (postproduction technologies). Mr. Martin Gummert, Dr. Roland Buresh, Dr. Mahyuddin Syam, and Dr. Grant Singleton represented IRRI at the meeting. Provincial extension specialists were very interested in the new technologies that were presented. They identified SSNM, ecological rodent management, and postproduction technologies as those most likely to be of interest to farmers in their respective provinces.

Dr. Achmad Fagi and Prof. Ibraham Manwan were two participants at the workshop in Bogor, Indonesia. (Photo by G. Singleton)

Identifying technologies of potential interest to farmers is not that difficult. Far more difficult is to identify an effective pathway to enable farmers to test and validate IRRC technologies. In 2005, Indonesia began to roll out a new outreach program called Prima Tani, aimed at accelerating the transfer of agricultural technologies to farmers. An overview of Prima Tani was presented by Dr. Udin Nugraha, director of the Indonesian Center for Agricultural Technology Assessment and Development (ICATAD).

The program follows an agri-business model with the intent of increasing access by farmers to markets. Prima Tani aims to empower regional people, especially farmers, through participatory decision-making. It began at a low level in 2005 in 14 provinces and 22 villages. In 2007, it is expected to cover 30 provinces, 200 districts, and 1 million hectares of agricultural production (many commodities). Dr. Udin is confident that Prima Tani is the right pathway for facilitating the outreach of IRRC technologies to rice farmers in the lowland irrigated agroecosystem of Indonesia.

For the immediate future, IRRC scientists will contribute to this outreach program by