Factors affecting agricultural production of small-holder rice farmers, Desa Linamnutu, TTS, NTT: Eastern Indonesia Field Intensive 2016

Despite many technical and resource challenges, Desa Linamnutu has prospered and farmers have supported their families over almost two decades of industrial irrigated rice farming. With attention to the following issues, the farmers, village community and District would all benefit from improved production: 1. Increased investment in extension services is required to improve farmers’ access to and uptake of knowledge about pest management and agriculture. The combination of a lack of of knowledge and abundant supply of chemical pesticides has in the past led to overuse, pest resistance and soil residues. 2. The effectiveness of Government extension services and NGO projects is hampered by low farmer group membership, and/or ineffective farmer goups. We recommend an inquiry into the functionality and transparency of Farmer Groups, in order promote access to timely, high quality and appropriate agricultural knowledge. 3. NGO and other development projects need to investigate barriers to the sustainability of their interventions, beyond the duration of the individual project itself. This may require supporting and engaging with local insitutions such as improved farmer groups. 4. Improved governance and management of irrigation infrastructure at all levels is critical to improving and maximising rice production. The current situation is also limiting uptake of innovations such as SRI production. 5. Technologies for collecting and mapping spatial data, such as freeware and mobile phones, may assist in both irrigation infrastructure management and pest management. These should be further investigated in consultation with farmers and the NGO and agency staff advising them.