AgResults Indonesia Year 4 Roadshows Kick Off in Cilacap Regency

In June, the AgResults Indonesia Aquaculture Challenge Project kicked off Year 4 to continue encouraging private sector ‘competitors’ to increase smallholder farmers’ adoption of on-farm technologies and the delivery of technical assistance (TA) to these farmers. As part of Year 4 activities, Project Manager WWF-Indonesia is organizing a series of seminars in various regions. These roadshows aim to further promote the adoption of technology and TA services among smallholder farmers.

The first roadshow took place in Cilacap Regency, Central Java, on August 14, 2024. A total of 25 smallholder farmers from various sub-districts, including Kawunganten, Adipala, Nusawungu, and Kesugihan, participated in this event.

Cilacap Regency has great potential for both freshwater and brackish water aquaculture. According to the Cilacap Fisheries Agency, the region’s main aquaculture commodities are vannamei shrimp, tilapia, catfish, and gourami. With more than 100 fish farmer groups and more than 20,000 farmers, Cilacap recorded an aquaculture production volume of 16,000 tons in 2023. The highest production was generated in brackish water pond, amounting to 7,500 tons, followed by production in freshwater pond with 7,000 tons, and cage aquaculture with 1,400 tons.

The August 14 roadshow in Cilacap was opened by the Head of the Cilacap Fisheries Agency, Indarto. In his remarks, he stated, “As we all know, Cilacap has vast aquaculture potential. With this program, I hope that farmers here can learn and implement new knowledge to improve their production. I also hope that activities like this continue and bring significant benefits to the smallholder farmers in Cilacap.”

The roadshow featured a seminar titled “Tips for Reducing Disease Incidence and Risk in Shrimp Farming with Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) and Mangrove Planting.” Coco Kokarkin, a member of the Indonesian Shrimp Forum and a member of the Indonesia project’s Technical Advisory Committee, presented the seminar and focused on two topics: the role of WWTP in fish/shrimp farming and the development of shrimp farming with the traditional plus method.

Using WWTP is considered essential to maintain water quality and reduce the risk of disease in shrimp farming. WWTP plays a key role in minimizing the negative impact of effluent water, which often becomes a source of disease spread. The second topic focused on farming strategies through the traditional plus method, which combines traditional farming techniques with technological approaches and nurseries. Mangrove planting around ponds to support shrimp farming was also added as an effort to reduce disease risks.

After the seminar, six competitors participating in Year 4 of the AgResults Indonesia project presented to the smallholder farmers in attendance: PT Multidaya Teknologi Nusantara (eFishery), PT Venambak Kail Dipantara, PT Eco Karya Teknologi (Crustea), PT Bumi Wirasatraya Sejahtera, CV Asia Cahaya Teknik Prima, and PT Aqubeta Dipo Jaya. By demonstrating their offered technologies and explaining their TA services, these competitors aimed to increase farmers’ awareness and encourage them to seek out these products to enhance their productivity.

As Year 4 proceeds, the Indonesia Project Manager will continue to host similar roadshows across the target regions of the project to complement competitors’ outreach efforts and drive awareness among smallholder farmers.

The Indonesia Aquaculture Challenge Project, which began in 2021, is a Pay-for-Results prize competition that incentivizes businesses across Indonesia to deliver aerator and auto-feeder technologies to smallholder farmers. By encouraging technology adoption and involving the private sector, the project aims to increase aquaculture productivity and strengthen the livelihoods of farmers. The project is part of AgResults, a $152 million collaborative initiative between the governments of Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Bank Group that uses prize competitions to incentivize the private sector to overcome market barriers and create lasting change. Under AgResults’ Pay-for-Results model, these competitions encourage actors to achieve predetermined results thresholds and quality for monetary prizes.