A LONG dry season and limited irrigation sources in the rice fields, farmers in Blora Regency, Central Java switched to tobacco cultivation. As a result, the area of tobacco land jumped by 250% compared to the previous year.
Currently, thousands of hectares of rice fields in Blora Regency have changed from previously rice fields to tobacco plantations. Thousands of farmers have changed food crops to tobacco cultivation, due to limited water in both rice fields and rivers due to the long drought and no rain for more than two months.
In order to meet the watering needs of the tobacco plants, farmers make shallow wells in the rice fields spread across several sub-districts. “We chose tobacco plants because water availability is limited during the dry season like now,” said Sarwan, 50, a farmer in Puledagel Village, Jepon District, Blora.
Similar things were also expressed by Sunaryo, 45, a tobacco farmer in Tambaksari Village, Blora District, Blora Regency. In addition to the limited water for agricultural needs during this dry season, many farmers are tempted to cultivate tobacco because of the high profits, even up to three times higher than planting rice or secondary crops.
“The profit from planting tobacco can reach 40 percent of the capital, on average each hectare of rice fields can be planted with up to 26 thousand plants,” said Sunaryo.
Head of the Food Crops, Horticulture, Plantations and Livestock Division of the Blora Food, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Service (DP 4) Rosalia Diah Erawati said that the impact of the drought has caused many farmers to switch to tobacco cultivation, so that the amount of agricultural land now planted with tobacco has increased by 250% compared to last year.
In 2023: then, Rosalia continued, the amount of tobacco land in Blora was only 800 hectares and in 2024 this increased to 2,000 hectares, because tobacco plants are more resistant to drought and also do not require much water. “This tobacco cultivation is not only more
“It benefits farmers and keeps the land productive,” he added.
Although the number of tobacco planting areas has increased drastically, Rosalia said, it is hoped that tobacco prices will not fall and remain stable like this when the harvest season arrives, so that farmers can feel the benefits. (N-2)
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