The contribution of rain-fed farming to national food production in Indonesia has yet to be optimal. The major constraint has been\nlimited water supply, where it relies exclusively on the rainfall, and hence its planting index (PI) is still low, on average only 1.05.\nThe establishment of water management system to support rain-fed fields with the introduction of suitable cultivation techniques\n(gogo rancah, walik jerami, super jarwo, and ratoon paddy) is known to be effective in rain-fed farming. Further, the use of droughttolerant\npaddy variety and changing cropping pattern to focus on paddy, maize, and soybean would potentially improve the food\nproduction capacity in Indonesia. This study has shown these interventions, when applied to the existing 4 million ha rain-fed\nfields, are estimated to increase annual rice production by 16.7 million tons.The production of maize and soybean is also expected\nto increase by 3.7 million tons and 0.98 million tons per year, respectively. It is beyond the scope of this study, however, to consider\nthe actual benefit felt by rain-fed smallholder farmers. Future research with farmers as its focus and the capacity of Indonesian\ninstitutions toward rain-fed farming thus will contribute further to the rain-fed farming development in Indonesia. This article\nshares a strategy in maximising the contribution of the currently available 4 million hectares of rain-fed land to the national food\nproduction, and hence sustainable food self-sufficiency in Indonesia.
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