"Nationally it reaches no fewer than 100 hectares. Unless it is balanced by the implementation of the law on the protection of sustainable food farm land, I think the agricultural land in Java will be gone," he told newsmen after attending a farmers`meeting in Sidareja village in the district of Cilacap, Central Java.
He also expressed appreciation to all district heads who have issued regulations to protect farm land.
The minister admitted that the law, number 41 of 2009, had to be put into bylaws, meaning the authority to protect the land is in the hands of local governments.
He said fewer than 10 districts, however, have issued bylaws to protect land, while the total number of districts in the country are more than 500.
"So, I hope district heads would immediately issue them before it is too late, although we would also create new rice fields to offset the reduction," he said.
The minister, however, added that new rice fields would only become productive after two or three years.
Regarding the spatial management bylaw, the minister said he saw some district heads had not been sensitive towards protecting farm land.
"It is ok if the spatial management issue is not yet concluded. But to me it is alright as long as district heads, along with regional legislative assemblies, care about this. They can prioritize the farm land protection bylaw, while tackling the spatial management issue later," he said.
He added that Central Java has a spatial management bylaw, so it would only need to implement the bylaw on farm land protection. "So when we wish to conduct land conversions we must first meet the requirements," he said.
He noted that land conversion had been hindered in districts whose heads have issued a bylaw on protecting farmland.
"Like in Sragen, whoever buys the land must retain it as agricultural land," he said.(*)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
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