Amid El Nino Crisis, Batang Rice Fields Stay Productive, Yielding Rp 1.3 Billion

Amid El Nino Crisis, Batang Rice Fields Stay Productive, Yielding Rp 1.3 Billion

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Agriculture in Batang Regency, Central Java, located on salty coastal land and hit by El Nino, remains productive and generates high economic value.

This success is the result of a collaboration between PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (Persero) Tbk (PGN), a Pertamina Gas Subholding, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and the Batang Regency Government.

The continued productivity of farming land in this area is due to the Biosaline Rice Development Program implemented by PGN in partnership with BRIN.

Despite the saline soil, rice fields here produced 166.5 tons of dry unmilled rice (GKP) through biosaline rice cultivation, with an economic value reaching Rp 1.3 billion.

Previously, agricultural land on Batang’s coast had been unproductive for six months due to a strong El Nino phenomenon affecting Indonesia.

The extreme El Nino posed a particular challenge for agriculture, especially in coastal areas, due to limited fresh water, high salinity, and tidal flooding threats.

Indonesia’s Deputy Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, said that amidst these climate challenges, innovation is crucial to sustaining agricultural productivity.

The collaboration between PGN, Pertamina Gas Subholding, BRIN, and Batang Regency Government developing biosaline rice and saline aquaculture has successfully demonstrated that highly saline lands can still be used productively.

"The integration of rice, fish, and seaweed also has potential as a model adaptable to the characteristics of different regions," Hanif stated in a written release received by Kompas.com on Friday (9/18/2026).

Batang Regent, M Faiz Kurniawan, also noted that climate challenges can be well managed through cross-sector collaboration. "Cooperation between government, business sectors, research institutions, and communities can deliver solutions tailored to regional needs while providing economic, environmental, and social benefits, especially for farmers," said M. Faiz.

Meanwhile, BRIN Advisory Board member Tri Mumpuni commended the farmers in Batang for their resilience in cultivating despite climate adversity, using the introduced technological innovations to achieve success.

PGN Corporate Secretary Fajriyah Usman stated that the biosaline rice development program in Batang is part of the company’s social and environmental responsibility initiatives.

The biosaline rice program, a partnership between PGN and BRIN, has been underway since December 2024 and is being implemented in several regions.

The total development has reached 232 hectares across Semarang, Jepara, and Batang. "From land facing constraints, we grow productivity. Through innovation, we provide solutions. And through collaboration, we create sustainability whose benefits can be felt by the community," Fajriyah concluded.