RRI.CO.ID, Mataram - The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Provincial Administration is aggressively expanding its agricultural footprint by developing 1,347 hectares of new rice fields across Sumbawa Island. This strategic initiative, integrated into the National Strategic Projects, marks a significant push to bolster regional food security and sustain the province's upward trend in grain production.

Acting Head of the NTB Agriculture and Food Security Agency, Eva Dewiyani, detailed that the allocation is divided between two major subdistricts, with Dompu Regency receiving 1,097 hectares and West Sumbawa Regency covering approximately 250 hectares. Speaking in Mataram on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, she emphasized that the success of this large-scale expansion hinges on seamless synergy across all sectors.

"The success of the program is highly dependent on the active support of all stakeholders," she remarked, as quoted by Antara.

To pave the way for physical construction, the provincial administration is currently prioritizing the completion of Survey Investigation and Design (SID) and essential environmental documents.

A technical team from the University of Mataram reported that the SID process, which commenced in November 2025, is on track to meet its completion deadline today. Field assessments have already confirmed that the designated sites sit outside protected forest zones and do not overlap with existing raw rice fields.

Furthermore, local farmers have expressed strong support for the project, committing to transform the land into high-yield productive zones. Comprehensive infrastructure planning is already in motion to ensure the long-term viability of the new fields.

"Infrastructure planning has also been prepared, including irrigation network designs, borehole construction, and water requirement analysis to support sustainable rice cultivation," Eva explained.

Despite the progress, she noted that several administrative hurdles remain, specifically regarding spatial planning alignment and non-forest area validation. These elements are mandatory prerequisites for the issuance of environmental permits.

The provincial administration continues to intensify coordination to ensure all administrative stages are finalized on schedule. Should environmental documentation face delays beyond the stipulated timeframe, the administration is prepared to make adjustments through contract renegotiations.

Nevertheless, Eva remains optimistic about the immediate realization of the program, viewing it as a vital engine for local food stability and a major contributor to Indonesia’s national production targets.

This expansion comes on the heels of impressive agricultural growth in the province. According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), NTB’s production of milled dry grain reached 1.71 million tons in 2025, representing a sharp 17.56 percent increase from the 1.45 million tons recorded the previous year.

This surge of 255.21 thousand tons is attributed to a combination of government interventions and a significant expansion in harvested area, which grew by 14.62 percent to reach 322.90 thousand hectares. ***