SURGA KENTANG RANU PANI - Ekspedisi Indonesia Biru #11

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29 Aug 201615:39

Summary

TLDRThis video explores Ranupani, the last village before Mount Semeru in Lumajang, located within the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The village faces challenges as population growth strains its limited 500 hectares of farmland, while erosion from farming threatens soil fertility. Although potato farming has brought prosperity to some, environmental concerns and land degradation are growing. The government aims to transform Ranupani into a tourist village, but locals are divided on this shift. The tension between agriculture and tourism development is highlighted as the village seeks sustainable economic alternatives.

Takeaways

🌳 Ranupani village is the last village before Mount Semeru, located within the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.
🌾 The agricultural land in Ranupani is limited to 500 hectares due to its status as a conservation area, and expansion of farmland is prohibited.
👨‍🌾 Despite a growing population of 1,300 residents, the village's agricultural land remains the same, causing reliance on crops like potatoes for economic stability.
🏞️ The government aims to transform Ranupani into a tourist village, as the national park is one of the top 10 tourist destinations targeted for foreign visitors.
💰 Potato farming is lucrative, with farmers like Suko earning up to IDR 10 million every 4-5 months from one hectare of land.
🌱 Farmers are creating their own seed beds to increase productivity, with each potato plant's seed worth IDR 3,000.
🛑 Erosion threatens the fertile soil of Ranupani, as traditional terracing methods to prevent erosion are being abandoned by modern farmers.
🚜 New farming methods focus on maximizing land use, which has led to the degradation of soil fertility, posing long-term risks to agricultural sustainability.
🌊 Sediment from eroded land is filling the Ranupani Lake, which has lost significant depth and could disappear within five years if current trends continue.
🎯 Transforming Ranupani into a tourist village is seen as an alternative source of income, but requires strong community commitment and careful environmental management.

Q & A

What is Ranupani, and where is it located?
-Ranupani is a small village located near Mount Semeru in the Lumajang district of Indonesia. It is situated within the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park and covers an area of 500 hectares.
Why is land expansion difficult in Ranupani?
-Land expansion in Ranupani is almost impossible because the village is located within a protected national park area. Expanding agricultural land would mean encroaching on forested areas that are meant to be preserved.
What challenges do farmers in Ranupani face with the limited agricultural land?
-Despite an increasing population, the available agricultural land remains the same. This limits productivity, and farmers have to make the most of the existing land, leading them to seek alternative ways to maintain their livelihoods.
How is the government addressing the challenges in Ranupani?
-The government is working on transforming Ranupani into a tourist village to provide alternative economic opportunities. The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park is a top tourist destination, and they aim to increase foreign tourist visits.
How do farmers like Suko adapt to these challenges?
-Farmers like Suko are adapting by producing their own potato seeds and improving their farming techniques. Suko, for instance, has developed his own seedling process to boost production on his limited land.
What traditional farming techniques were used by the ancestors of Ranupani villagers?
-The ancestors of Ranupani villagers used terracing techniques to prevent soil erosion on the steep slopes of their farmland. This method helped maintain the fertility of the land by preventing water runoff from washing away topsoil.
What impact is erosion having on the agricultural land in Ranupani?
-Erosion is a significant issue in Ranupani, where steep farmland, now without terracing, loses valuable topsoil during heavy rains. This has reduced soil fertility and threatens the long-term productivity of the land.
What is the condition of the Ranupani Lake, and how is it affected by farming practices?
-Ranupani Lake is facing sedimentation due to soil erosion from surrounding farmland. The lake's depth has decreased significantly over the past decade, and without intervention, it could disappear within five years.
What are the economic benefits of potato farming in Ranupani?
-Potato farming can be highly profitable in Ranupani. Farmers like Suko can earn up to IDR 30 million from 1.5 hectares of land in a single harvest, with harvests occurring every 4-5 months.
What are the potential drawbacks of turning Ranupani into a tourist village?
-While tourism offers economic benefits, there are concerns about whether it will truly meet the needs of local farmers. Transforming the village into a tourist destination without addressing the underlying agricultural issues could lead to future problems.

Outlines

00:00

🌄 Challenges and Changes in Ranupani Village

The village of Ranupani, located before Mount Semeru in Lumajang, covers an area of 500 hectares. It is part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, making land expansion nearly impossible due to its protected status. Despite the village's growing population of 1,300 people, the agricultural land remains unchanged. While potato farming has brought prosperity to some extent, the government is trying to turn the village into a tourist destination, aiming to attract international tourists by 2019. Suko, a local farmer, discusses his potato farming practices and challenges, including the use of pesticides and the need for sustainable fertilization techniques. He even started his own potato seedling cultivation, using a method learned from Dieng.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Ranupani

Ranupani is the last village before Mount Semeru in the Lumajang Regency, situated within the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. It serves as the central setting of the video, representing a small, 500-hectare agricultural enclave. The village faces challenges such as limited agricultural expansion due to its location in a protected area, and the shift towards becoming a tourist village is discussed as a solution to economic difficulties.

💡Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park

This is a national park in East Java that includes Mount Semeru, the highest peak in Java, and is one of Indonesia's key tourist destinations. The park is essential to the narrative as it restricts the expansion of agricultural land in Ranupani and is involved in efforts to transform the village into a tourism destination. The park's importance highlights the tension between conservation efforts and local livelihoods.

💡Enclave

An enclave refers to a distinct area enclosed within a larger region. In the context of Ranupani, the village is an agricultural enclave within the national park, meaning its agricultural land is limited and cannot expand further without violating environmental protection laws. This concept is critical to understanding the limitations faced by local farmers in growing their land and agricultural output.

💡Potato farming

Potato farming is a key agricultural activity in Ranupani, and many villagers, including Suko, rely on it for their livelihood. Potatoes are described as bringing prosperity, but the fixed size of farmland means that villagers face economic challenges. This farming is essential to the village's economy, and the narrative discusses how residents have adapted by creating their own seed beds and innovating in cultivation.

💡Erosion

Erosion is a significant environmental problem in Ranupani, exacerbated by farming practices that avoid traditional terracing. The steep 45-degree slopes of the farmland make it prone to soil erosion, which depletes the nutrient-rich topsoil, further threatening agricultural sustainability. The erosion problem reflects the broader environmental degradation that could harm both farming and the local ecosystem.

💡Terracing

Terracing is an ancient farming technique that creates steps on slopes to reduce erosion and water runoff. Although it was once common in Ranupani, current farmers, including Joko, have largely abandoned this practice in favor of methods that maximize planting space. The video emphasizes the environmental consequences of this shift, as terracing would help prevent the erosion that is depleting fertile soil.

💡Sedimentation

Sedimentation refers to the accumulation of soil and debris in bodies of water, and in Ranupani, this is occurring in the local lake, which shares the village's name. The lake's depth has reduced dramatically due to soil erosion from surrounding farmland, threatening its existence. This environmental issue symbolizes the broader risks of unsustainable farming practices and highlights the village's connection to the natural environment.

💡Tourism village

The concept of transforming Ranupani into a 'tourism village' is presented as a potential solution to the economic challenges caused by limited agricultural land. This shift aims to create alternative income sources by attracting visitors to the region. However, there are questions about whether tourism is a feasible or desirable option for the villagers, particularly for those, like Suko, who are deeply rooted in farming.

💡Sustainable agriculture

Sustainable agriculture involves farming methods that protect the environment and maintain productivity over time. In the context of Ranupani, there is a lack of emphasis on sustainable practices like terracing and the use of erosion-controlling plants. The video's narrative suggests that promoting more sustainable agricultural methods is essential for the village's long-term economic and environmental well-being.

💡Population pressure

Population pressure refers to the strain that a growing population places on limited resources, such as land. In Ranupani, the population has grown to 1,300, but the available agricultural land has remained fixed at 500 hectares. This pressure forces farmers to intensify their cultivation efforts, contributing to environmental degradation and making it increasingly difficult to sustain both agriculture and the local ecosystem.

Highlights

Ranupani is the last village before Mount Semeru, located in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, making land expansion difficult to preserve the forest area.

Despite the village population growing to 1,300 people, the agricultural land remains limited, creating pressure for alternatives like tourism development.

Ranupani’s agricultural lands, primarily used for potato farming, are threatened by soil erosion due to the steep terrain, reaching up to 45 degrees in slope.

Farmers like Suko make a significant income from potato farming, with a quarter-hectare of land generating gross income of up to Rp30 million per harvest.

Farmers in Ranupani face challenges with the availability of fertilizers, pushing some, like Suko, to use traditional methods of composting.

Suko has created a personal seedling process, using a homemade polybag system for his potato crops, which increases efficiency and production.

Another farmer, Joko, mentions that seed potatoes can sell for around Rp3,000 per piece, adding economic value to the farming process.

Soil fertility in Ranupani is largely dependent on volcanic ash from Mount Semeru, but constant erosion is depleting the nutrient-rich topsoil.

Older generations practiced terracing to reduce erosion, but newer farmers are less interested in these techniques as they reduce the cultivable area.

As erosion continues, there is concern about a ‘small economic disaster’ similar to past incidents when imported garlic disrupted local farming.

Farmers are aware that the soil depth in their fields is shrinking, with only 20 centimeters of fertile soil remaining in some areas.

Ranupani’s iconic lake, Danau Ranupani, is also under threat from sedimentation, with its depth reducing from over 10 meters to only 3 meters in the past decade.

Without intervention, the lake could disappear in the next five years, eliminating a significant natural and touristic asset for the village.

The government’s plan to shift Ranupani into a tourist destination aims to provide alternative income for the villagers as the pressure on agricultural land grows.

There is concern that without community commitment and proper support, the transformation into a tourism village may not be successful or sustainable.