Mojokerto Pilot Highlights the Value of Sharing Aquaculture Technology and Technical Assistance Best Practices
As the AgResults Indonesia Aquaculture Challenge Project nears its conclusion, WWF-Indonesia, in collaboration with the Center for Marine and Fisheries Extension, the Marine and Fisheries Human Resources Education and Extension Agency (BPPSDM KP), and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), implemented a second pilot project on tilapia farming using the biofloc system at the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (KDMP) in Gempolkerep, Mojokerto Regency, East Java. The pilot was designed to demonstrate improved aquaculture practices in a government-managed site while showing how technology dissemination and technical assistance encouraged by the Pay-for-Results project can strengthen local production systems and support wider adoption through government and extension networks.
The Mojokerto activity also brought together several AgResults competitors to support the adoption of innovative aquaculture technologies. Kisaran Aquaculture provided biofloc farming procedures and technical assistance, while aerator support came from CV Republik Vannamei, Prima Eco Aquaculture, PT Bumi Wirastaraya Sejahtera, and Venambak Kail Dipantara. This reflects the broader AgResults approach of encouraging private sector participation in helping smallholder producers adopt improved farming methods.
Responding to a Significant Production Gap
Mojokerto Regency offers a strong case for this intervention. Although it is landlocked, it has the highest fish consumption rate in East Java. In 2024, fish consumption reached 50.46 kilograms per capita per year, equivalent to annual demand of around 58,000 tonnes. Yet local fish production totaled only about 1,756 tonnes, or roughly 3 percent of demand. This gap highlights the need for scalable production models that can increase supply while strengthening farmer capacity and productivity.
To help address this challenge, KKP and KDMP have been developing fish farming using the biofloc system, which promotes beneficial heterotrophic bacteria through a balanced carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. In Mojokerto Regency, the KKP biofloc program has been allocated across three locations, including Gempolkerep District. Supported by eleven extension officers, the district is also part of the 2026 BPPSDM KP Smart Fisheries Village program. With ponds ready and institutional support already in place, Gempolkerep was selected as a strategic pilot site.
Demonstrating Technology in Practice
The pilot focused on tilapia, a fish widely preferred in Mojokerto and valued for both market potential and nutritional contribution. Every 100 grams of tilapia provides approximately 128 calories and 26 grams of protein, making it an important commodity for both livelihoods and food security. By combining a ministry-supported biofloc system with technical assistance and technology from AgResults competitors, the project aimed to show how coordinated support can improve production outcomes under local conditions.
A partial harvest held on May 19, 2026, marked a major milestone. After a 76-day culture period, with a stocking density of 1,100 fish per tank and an average initial size of 12 to 18 grams, the harvest yielded 140 kilograms of tilapia, with fish reaching 120 to 140 grams. While modest in scale, the result demonstrated how improved procedures and targeted support can accelerate fish growth and validate the potential of biofloc-based tilapia farming in Mojokerto.
The harvest event also connected aquaculture production with product innovation and public engagement. The BPPP Banyuwangi extension team demonstrated tilapia product processing, while micro, small, and medium enterprises supported by local extension officers sold processed tilapia products through a bazaar held alongside the event. Together, these activities highlighted both on-farm production potential and opportunities for value addition and local enterprise development.
Strengthening Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration
The pilot also underscored the importance of collaboration in advancing aquaculture development.
“The presence of WWF and the implementation of this pilot project give us hope in increasing fisheries production in Mojokerto,” said Malik Riduwan, representative of the Food and Fisheries Department of Mojokerto Regency.
Farid Kurnia Setiawan, Head of Gempolkerep Village, added, “We hope the results of this project are beneficial and can be shared with other farmers in Gempolkerep.” These remarks reflect the broader significance of the pilot as both a production activity and a platform for local learning and dissemination.
The project also helped strengthen government engagement in dissemination and aquaculture assistance.
“The support of the biofloc system from KKP, combined with assistance and technology from AgResults, has accelerated fish growth,” said Yayan Hikmayani, Head of the Center for Marine and Fisheries Extension. “We want this activity to become an extension model, where the people of Mojokerto can directly see the impact of technology on aquaculture productivity. If proven successful, this model can be replicated to meet larger fish consumption demands in other regions.”
Looking Ahead
Following the ceremonial harvest, the Mojokerto Regency Government, together with BPPSDM KP and BPPP Banyuwangi, developed follow-up plans to sustain the pilot’s momentum. Fish farming activities will continue through the end of June to help meet demand from the SPPG kitchen as a potential partner. These activities will be carried out by local fisheries extension officers and KDMP Gempolkerep using capital generated from the harvest.
The pilot will also serve as comparative material for the next production cycle, while broader collaboration will support more affordable feed access, tilapia hatchery development, and the use of biofloc effluent in integrated farming systems. In this way, the pilot has not only strengthened farmers’ productivity but has also opened market opportunities and reinforced a more sustainable aquaculture development pathway across the value chain.
