Author : Wipartono Tirtohadisurjo

Summary : A land use planning framework was developed to provide alternative policy options that allow for the use of land resources according to the comparative advantage of land units and crops in a province or region. The framework was based on the system approach proposed by Beek (1980). It consists of local government policies, population, crop suitability classification and financial/economic feasibility. Land suitability evaluation criteria developed by the Center for Soil Research Indonesia (CSRI) and United Nations Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) were used in the study. Soil texture rating oriented toward workability of the soil was revised in this study. Four database files including soil and environment, production, population, and socioeconomic were created from data and information from Kabupaten Semarang and Purwodadi, Central Java, Indonesia. The land use planning framework was tested to support regional development direction. Results showed that Semarang and Purwodadi have sufficient food supply to satisfy the food requirments of the population. Converting remaining some lands palawija (upland crops) of higher crop comparative advantages will increase net returns and incomes of farmers and labor absorption in the farming communities. The study showed that about 29,412 hectares of land (9.84 percent) are classified as suitability Class I; 162,717 hectares (54.43 percent), suitability Class II; and 14,550 hectares (4.87 percent) classified as suitability Class III for wetland rice. The suitability Class I land for palawija covers about 14,550 hectares and crop suitability Class II lands covers about 167,291 hectares. Applicability of the framework will depend on availability and validity of the data and information inputs into the framework process. With the information system now available in BAPPEDA and other institutions, this framework may be applied in provincial level land-use development planning in Indonesia.