Steering IRRC in the right direction

The best-known Indonesian rice dish is probably Nasi goreng, which simply means “fried rice.” It is a breakfast dish, often made from boiled rice left over from the previous night’s meal. But for avid rice eaters such as the Indonesians, it doesn’t matter how it’s prepared—whether it’s fried, steamed, or with coconut milk—as long as there’s rice on the table.

“Rice is very important for Indonesians because it is a staple food for more than 90% of the Indonesian people,” says Hasil Sembiring, the director of the Indonesian Center for Rice Research. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the average Indonesian eats about 200 kilograms of rice each year.

Indonesia is one of the world’s leading rice producers, with paddy production of more than 54 million tons and a cultivated area of 11.6 million hectares in 2006. Since 1980, Indonesia’s rice yield has been the highest in tropical Asia. Rice planting area grew by 33% between 1969 and 1990.

However, since the 1990s, the conversion of many rice lands in Java for nonagricultural uses has contributed to a decline in rice yield. Dr. Sembiring considers land conversion of irrigated rice fields as one of the most pressing concerns now in Indonesian rice research, along with the decline in soil fertility.

“This is why, as head of the Center, I am constantly thinking of how we can increase our rice production by more than 5% each year,” explains Dr. Sembiring. “We provide rice technologies for Indonesian farmers, including new rice varieties that can give a satisfying yield and better life.” Recently, they released a variety called Aek Sibundong.

Dr. Sembiring is also the new Steering Committee chair of the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC). The IRRC’s international Steering Committee is composed of leading representatives drawn from developing countries of the region, a donor representative, and a representative from the International Rice Research Institute. The committee meets yearly to examine the progress of the IRRC, and review plans for the following year.

Hasil Sembiring does a great balancing act, juggling his duties as director of the Indonesian Center for Rice Research, as Steering Committee chair of the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium, and as a family man to wife Asmanur Jannah and daughters Sindy and Tannia. (Sembiring personal archives)

Dr. Sembiring reveals that his role as IRRC Steering Committee chair “is wonderful, but I was really nervous when I was asked to be the chair.” Despite the nerves, this busy man handles the pressure well, since he’s not a stranger to big responsibilities. Prior to his two challenging roles, he was the director of the Assessment Institute for Agricultural Technology (AIAT) in North Sumatra from 2001 to 2005, and director of West Nusa AIAT from 1999 to 2001.

Dr. Sembiring is foremost an agronomist and a soil scientist before taking on his administrative responsibilities. He earned his bachelor’s degree in soil science from the Bogor Agriculture University in Indonesia, and MS and PhD degrees in agronomy and soil fertility, respectively, at Oklahoma State University, USA.

Even though he’s been working on rice for quite a while now, he never seems to get tired of it. In fact, he starts his day by walking around the rice fields. “I also watch television and movies, and listen to music, but when I am at home, I try to spend as much time as I can with my family,” narrates Dr. Sembiring. Precious family time is spent with the three important women in his life—his wife, Asmanur Jannah, and two children, Sindy and Tannia.

He says he would’ve become a medical doctor had he not been a soil scientist. Luckily for us, he delved into the soil sciences and hasn’t left since. Now, he continues working toward improving rice research in Indonesia and in Asia. He encourages the youth and future rice scientists with this parting shot: “Be dedicated to anything you do, love it and enjoy it, because what we do is important not only for us as individuals, but for all the people in the world.”
 

Trina Mendoza (t.mendoza@cgiar.org)
 

Our partners up close archive