Planning Strategy

PLANNING STRATEGY FOR IRRIGATION IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE AGRO-LANDSCAPES
(A Case Study of Regional Development Planning of the Soppeng Autonomous Regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia)

A. Hafied A. Gany

ABSTRACT

Through a series of experiences on the country’s development, Indonesia has been encountered by a number of problems on the provision of adequate food supply for its rapid growing population. The underlying food security program has been hampered by the dilemma for maintaining sustainable rice production on the one hand, while keeping pace with the increasing population growth. Irrigation development is also constrained by the rapid expansion of human settlement and industries, as well as the inappropriate land uses, and poor maintenance of the existing irrigation infrastructures.

This paper discusses the general overview of planning strategy of water resources and irrigation by making use of six interlinked strategies: (1) the planned production for balancing of production and marketing; (2) comprehensive planning for land allocation and utilization; (3) orderly application of Agriculture Technology; (4) management of agriculture business; (5) forestalling of pollution in agriculture to maintain sustainable agro-environment; and (6) conservation of natural resources. The analysis approach employs integrated agricultural development scenario in the context of agribusiness agro-tourism and sustainable ago-landscapes. To give a concrete configuration of the analyses, a special reference has been based upon the “Regional Development Planning of the Soppeng Autonomous Regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia”.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

With all the irrigation based resources potentials owned by the Soppeng Regency, there are a number of strategic alternatives that could be developed in line with the regional autonomy policy. These are development and management of water resources and irrigation in the context of Agri-business, Agro-industry, Agro-tourism, and Eco-tourism, while achieving sustainable Agro-landscapes. The planning strategy should be based on the premise that land utilization is a non-separable linkage with the production function, post-production processing, manufacturing and marketing as well as R&D and breeding activities. The linkage is a compound of water resources development with integrated support of quality agriculture in one side and irrigation based agricultural enterprise, eco-tourism, as well as leisure agriculture on the other.

From series of irrigated-agricultural based development options, it is concluded that Soppeng Regency, from various water related sectors are having enormous potential for sustainable irrigated agriculture with appropriate balance of quality agriculture, leisure agriculture, as well as eco-tourism. With an appropriate implementation of irrigation based development strategy — conducive to markets, suitable land use, conducive to tradition, culture and indigenous technology — it is expected that the Soppeng Regency with the value added multi-functionality productions and manufacturing in terms of quality agriculture, agro-industries and agribusiness through a highly competitive marketing, would be able to bring this Autonomous regency into a prosperous agricultural area. These all, are the outcomes from effective role of irrigation and its externality functions for securing agricultural productivities without scarifying environment and sustainable agro-landscapes.
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