From Padi Biosalin to Minapadi Salin, PGN and BRIN Encourage the Economic Value of Coastal Land of the Batang English:

JAKARTA - PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (Persero) Tbk (PGN), Subholding Gas Pertamina, together with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the Batang Regency Government launched the Minapadi Salin Program in the Sicepit Beach Area, Kasepuhan Village, Batang Regency. This program, which is carried out through PGN's corporate social responsibility (CSR), is a collaborative effort to strengthen food security while improving the welfare of coastal communities through the use of productive and sustainable saline land.

This program has previously been implemented in the coastal areas of north Semarang, namely Mangunharjo, then also in Jepara Regency in the form of Biosalin Rice. And in Batang this time is an expansion with a more integrated approach. For Semarang, from the beginning of the program of 20 hectares, currently the development of land has reached more than 115 hectares.

Meanwhile, in Jepara, the realization of the harvest reached 22 hectares from the target of 20 hectares with an economic achievement of around IDR 1.23 billion. If multiplied by the overall economic value that has been running on the Padi Biosalin program, it is around IDR 7.66 billion.

In the implementation in Batang Regency, the Minapadi Salin Program not only integrates the cultivation of saline rice, but is also developed with the commodity of saline tilapia, as well as seaweed as an additional source of income for coastal communities. The launch of the Minapadi Salin Program in Batang Regency was attended by the Regent of Batang M. Faiz Kurniawan, Deputy for Regional Research and Innovation of BRIN RI Dr. Yopi, M.Si., and Deputy for Maritime Resources of the Coordinating Ministry for Food and Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia Dandy Satria Iswara, S.IP., M.Si.

As a symbol of the start of the program's implementation, 10,000 seeds of salt tilapia were released, followed by the delivery and planting of biosaline rice seeds together with farmers. This program is carried out on an area of 32.26 hectares managed by the Sido Barokah Mulyo Farmers Group (Gapoktan), Poktan Intani, and Poktan Dewi Sri VI.

Meanwhile, the seaweed commodity cultivated in this program is Gracilaria verrucosa, which has a high economic value and is adaptive to coastal seawater conditions with salinity. In the initial stage, the spread was carried out using seaweed seedlings of about 30 kilograms.

The first harvest is targeted to be carried out in approximately three months after planting, with a potential productivity of up to 5 kilograms of harvest for every 1 kilogram of seedlings planted. After the initial harvest, seaweed cultivation is planned to be continued with a pattern of sustainable harvesting gradually every 3-4 weeks, so that it is expected to be able to increase land productivity while supporting people's income sustainably.

The Regent of Batang, M. Faiz Kurniawan, said this program was a strategic step in utilizing saline land, which has been less productive, into an economically valuable agricultural and fisheries area.

"We appreciate the collaboration between PGN, BRIN, and various parties in presenting the Minapadi Salin 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 the use of more productive saline land," said Faiz.

Deputy for Regional Research and Innovation of BRIN RI Dr. Yopi, M.Si., said that the Minapadi Salin Program showed that research results can be implemented in a tangible way to answer challenges in the field, especially on coastal land with high salinity levels. According to him, this approach not only restores land productivity, but also increases the economic value of the area.

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

Meanwhile, PGN's Corporate Secretary, Fajriyah Usman, stated that as a Pertamina Gas Subholding, PGN not only focuses on energy supply, but is also committed to creating added value for the community through sustainable empowerment programs. With the cultivation of biosaline rice in saline-affected land in coastal areas combined with the maintenance of saltwater tilapia in one land area, and strengthened with seaweed cultivation, it is expected to become an alternative commodity with economic value.

"The Minapadi Salin program is a tangible manifestation of this commitment, by integrating agricultural and fisheries innovations, including the development of seaweed commodities, to improve the welfare of farmers while strengthening national food security," Fajriyah said in a statement, Thursday, June 18.

With the support of research-based agricultural technology developed by BRIN, this program targets rice productivity of 6-7 tons per hectare. Meanwhile, the brackish tilapia seeds are expected to produce a harvest with an average weight of around 300 grams per fish. As for seaweed cultivation, it is expected to provide additional income through a relatively short-term sustainable harvesting pattern.

In the future, this program will also be strengthened with the planting of mangroves in coastal areas around the cultivation site as an effort to mitigate coastal abrasion while maintaining the sustainability of coastal ecosystems.

"We want to ensure that the benefits of this program are not only felt at harvest time, but also have a long-term impact on the environment and society. With an integrated approach between agriculture, fisheries, and coastal ecosystem conservation, we hope that a balance will be created between increasing productivity, strengthening the economy of the community, and environmental sustainability," concluded Fajriyah.