Future Uncertainty of Sustainable Paddy Fields in Bengkulu Indonesia

Abstract

Main constraint of rice cultivation for staple food supply and national food security as sustainable agriculture indicator in Indonesia is reduced productive paddy’s fields because of land use changes for other agricultural commodities and non-agriculture land use. Aim of this paper to review some causative factors influenced land use change from rain-fed paddy’s fields to other uses in Bengkulu Province. Writing method was based on secondary data and information from some previous researches observing factors caused paddy’s field conversion to other uses and other related references. The main reasons caused rain-fed rice fields converted to other agricultural land use and non-agricultural uses were water supply limited for intensive rice cultivation, harvested failure, other more profitable agricultural products, family labour lack, and high economic value for non-agricultural land uses. In short, future agricultural land use of rain-fed paddy’s fields in Bengkulu Province toward uncertainty because of land use change to other agricultural cultivations and non-agricultural uses especially for settlement.