The UGM Faculty of Forestry plans to rehabilitate the Getas and Ngandong forests, which are among the forests with particular purposes in Indonesia, covering an area of 10,901 hectares.
These forests are located in Ngawi, East Java, and Blora, Central Java, for educational and training purposes managed by UGM.
UGM collaborates with local communities to preserve the forests’ sustainability while engaging in agriculture, focusing on cultivating sugarcane.
This was revealed during the meeting between the forest management team and dozens of sugarcane farmers in the Getas forest area, attended by representatives from the UGM Faculty of Forestry, Slamet Riyanto and Teguh Yuwono, Pitu District Head Peggy Yudo Subekti, and Pitu Police Chief Karno, in Ngawi Regency, East Java, on Wednesday (November 15)
Slamet Riyanto stated that out of the approximately 10,901 hectares, an estimated 60 percent needs rehabilitation. Currently, there are 3,000 hectares of barren land, and 1,700 hectares have been planted with sugarcane by farmers.
“There are around 3,400 farmers from 15 villages in Blora and Ngawi who are sugarcane farmers. We invite them to participate in maintaining this area,” he said.
“For those who have already planted sugarcane, we invite them to switch to other crops, allocating 60 percent of the land for forest plants and 40 percent for agricultural land.”
Riyanto explained that this year, the Faculty of Forestry would plant seedlings on an area of 1,100 hectares during the upcoming rainy season in December.
“We do it gradually, planting around 1,000 hectares yearly,” he said.
Once it is done, a three-year maintenance process will follow. Therefore, sugarcane farmers, allowed to cultivate agricultural land around the particular purpose areas, are invited to participate in preserving and caring for the forests.
“We will look after it three years after planting. Next, self-sustaining maintenance is done by the community or tenant farmers,” he said.
Teguh Yuwono said they would plant 1,000 trees per hectare of forest plants in the Getas and Ngandong areas. Farmers are allowed to plant corn or soybeans in the surrounding areas.
“UGM has planned this program for a long time. For the time being (tree planting) will be done gradually,” said Yuwono.
The UGM Faculty of Forestry has also informed the farmers in the last two years regarding the acceleration of the forest and land rehabilitation program. They allow sugarcane farmers to cultivate lands but prohibit cutting down trees or damaging forest plant seedlings.
Moreover, they ask for cooperation from residents who have become sugarcane farmers to refrain from planting sugarcane in other areas within the designated forests to prevent damaging the forest plants.
“Generally, sugarcane farmers, after harvesting, clear the land by burning it, which can damage the trees and forest plants there,” he said.
For land that has already been planted with sugarcane, Yuwono said they gave a one-year deadline until the harvest was completed. After that, it would be replaced with other crops, such as corn and soybeans.
In the two recent meetings, some residents expressed their aspirations to request a three-year deadline to be still allowed to plant sugarcane.
“We are still negotiating and discussing it,” he said.
Saidi, 72 years old, from Cantel Village, Ngawi, supports the land and forest rehabilitation program carried out by UGM.
“Indeed, farmers should be informed at least two years before the program is implemented. Everyone in our area is well-informed. Some plant sugarcane, but the amount is small. Whenever they are ready, they can clear it themselves,” he said.
Saidi chose not to plant sugarcane but to cultivate corn because by planting corn, he could sell the harvest himself. He could harvest twice a year with a land area of approximately one hectare. For one harvest, he could earn around IDR 20 million.
“Compared to sugarcane, it’s better to plant corn. We sell it ourselves. One hectare can harvest 5-6 tons,” Saidi said.
Istoni, 54 years old, from Kalang Village, Ngawi, said that farmers already knew about the prohibition on planting sugarcane in the forest areas. However, some farmers still did because there was no clarity about the rights of sugarcane farmers and the weak supervision.
“Through UGM, there are clear rights given, there are legal foundations so that if there are violations, there will be sanctions, so the community understands that the forest cannot be planted with sugarcane,” he said.
Istoni shared that working as a sugarcane farmer had been done for generations. However, when the forest plants are lush, they must move to empty locations. With the grant of land rights given by UGM, they can settle and manage around 40 percent of the land designated for agriculture.
“Usually, in the past, when the forest was lush, it could no longer be planted. Now, within one plot, there is a division of land for forest plants and agricultural land,” he concluded.
Author: Gusti Grehenson