PGN and BRIN Develop Saline Minapadi to Boost Coastal Land Value in Batang

PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and the Batang Regency government have launched an innovative saline minapadi program. This initiative transforms coastal land, previously affected by salinity, into a productive source of food and income for the community. The program integrates rice cultivation, saline tilapia farming, and seaweed cultivation in a single area.

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We appreciate the collaboration between PGN, BRIN, and various parties in presenting the Saline Minapadi Program in Batang Regency. This program not only supports national food security but also opens opportunities for improving the welfare of farmers and coastal communities through more productive utilization of saline land.

The project, implemented in Pantai Sicepit, Kasepuhan Village, Batang Regency, Central Java, builds upon the success of the biosalin rice program previously rolled out in Semarang and Jepara. In Semarang, biosalin rice cultivation expanded from 20 to over 115 hectares. Jepara saw a harvest of 22 hectares, exceeding its 20-hectare target and generating approximately Rp 1.23 billion in economic value. The biosalin rice program has collectively generated around Rp 7.66 billion.

The saline minapadi program in Batang covers 32.26 hectares, managed by local farmer groups. The launch involved releasing 10,000 tilapia fingerlings and planting biosalin rice seedlings. Additionally, the community is cultivating Gracilaria verrucosa seaweed, a high-value species well-adapted to coastal waters. Initial seaweed cultivation uses 30 kilograms of seeds, with the first harvest expected in three months, potentially yielding five kilograms of harvest per kilogram of seed.

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BRIN does not want research results to stop in the laboratory but must be present in the community and become a real solution to regional problems.

Batang Regent M Faiz Kurniawan praised the collaboration, highlighting the program's role in enhancing national food security and improving the welfare of coastal communities by making saline land more productive. BRIN's Deputy for Regional Research and Innovation, Yopi, stated that the saline minapadi program exemplifies applying research to solve challenges posed by high-salinity coastal lands, emphasizing BRIN's commitment to providing tangible solutions. PGN Corporate Secretary Fajriyah Usman added that the program integrates farming and fishery innovations, including seaweed development, to boost farmer income and strengthen coastal economies.

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The Saline Minapadi Program is a concrete manifestation of this commitment, by integrating agricultural and fishery innovations, including the development of seaweed commodities, to improve farmer welfare while strengthening the coastal economy.