Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) is promoting biochar technology to address widespread agricultural land degradation.

Biochar—a carbon-rich material produced from biomass through low-oxygen heating (pyrolysis)—serves as a soil enhancer, improving fertility and structure.

Kadin’s Deputy Chair for Agriculture, Devi Erna Rachmawati, said over 60 percent of Indonesia’s farmland has deteriorated, making biochar urgently needed.

“Our land is unhealthy, but biochar’s raw materials are abundant here,” she noted on Friday, urging the government to introduce the technology to farmers and consider it in policy planning.

Kadin has established a research center in Lebak, Banten Province, spanning 180 hectares, to collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture, BRIN, and industry players.

The center supports research and farmer training across agriculture, livestock, and fisheries—both online and offline.

Senior Agricultural Extension Expert at the Ministry of Agriculture, Dedi Nursyamsi, emphasized biochar’s role in boosting crop yields, remediating contaminated soils, and reducing reliance on chemical fertilizers.

“Biochar improves soil ventilation, water retention, and microbial activity,” he said, adding that it also holds potential for carbon trading.

He highlighted Biotron, a Ministry-developed 3-in-1 biochar enriched with micronutrients and liquid organic fertilizer, now being distributed to farmers in Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Java.

However, Nursyamsi noted that procurement remains limited and called for greater support from industry stakeholders to scale adoption.



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