Developing rice granary in an upstream area of the Brantas River of east Java, Indonesia

Abstract

This article examines the implementation of the Green Revolution policy in the Kepanjen District, Malang Regency, from 1969-1998. The Kepanjen District is one of the major rice-producing areas in Malang Regency, so it has become a rice granary for East Java. The problems to be dealt with here are the supporting institutional arrangements and dynamics of the Green Revolution program implementation. This study used the historical method and agricultural economics approach. The background to implementing the Green Revolution was the food crisis in the 1960s that occurred in the country. The New Order regime launched a green revolution program to overcome the crisis. The program was implemented in 1969 with Bimas, Inmas, Insus, and Supra Insus. Mass guidance, agricultural counseling, and village cooperatives have been the significant institutional support for the program. In promoting rice production, the farmers had to fight against the attacks of pests and diseases that sometimes caused extensive harvest failure and big losses in particular years. Despite the difficulties, there was a general trend of increasing rice production under the Green Revolution. As rice production grew, the farmers also experienced a significant growth in income and a better standard of material living.