Understanding rice innovation needed for smallholder farmers in semi-arid area of East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Abstract

Rice is grown in various environments across semi-arid areas of ENT province. This paper elaborates agricultural innovations delivered to the smallholder rice farmers and highlights their responses/adaptability. The research conducted in the state boundary of Indonesia-Timor Leste as part of AIAT-ENT program. The study showed that farmers having more access to rice innovation sources tend to adopt better and willing to purchase for external inputs. By adopting introduced rice innovations, co-operatives farmers in state boundaries were able to improve rice productivity from 1 – 2 ton/ha to 5 – 7.2 ton/ha. After 3 years of AIS implementation, almost all farmers have been continuously HYVs of rice. However, the sustainability of the innovation’s adoption has commonly disrupted by the availability of external inputs. Numerous rice-related innovations have been introduced; however, smallholder farmers were keen to adopt only limited ones that suitable with their specific environment and household circumstances. The study concluded that rice innovations delivered to improve rice productivity in semi-arid areas should be focus on specific target groups that suitable their environments and household’ circumstances. Rice-related innovations should be delivered in the broader context not merely to increase rice productivity, rather to improve smallholder semi-arid farmers’ resilience for food security.