Kandar’s Self-Sufficient Rice Field in Maluku

KOMPAS/DOKUMENTASI DESA KANDAR

Rainfed rice fields in Kandar Village, Selaru Island, Tanimbar Islands Regency, Maluku, Monday (26/1/2021). Village funds help farmers develop agriculture there.

Village funds have transformed the face of Kandar village on Selaru Island, Tanimbar Islands regency, Maluku. Located on the Indonesia-Australia border, Kandar jumped from an underdeveloped village in 2019 to become a self-sufficient village thanks to its focus on developing rain-fed rice fields.

On Monday afternoon (25/1/2021), after heavy rains soaked the land, Efraim Refualu (82) checked his rice plants, which were about one month old. The rainwater intake would make the rice plants that were more than 40 centimeters grow tall until the harvest season around April.