Rice Grown in Used Gallons Produces 20-Kilogram Harvest at RPTRA Belimbing

Rice grown in used water gallons at Belimbing Child-Friendly Integrated Public Space (RPTRA) in Pasar Minggu Urban Village, Pasar Minggu Sub-district, South Jakarta, has produced a total of 20 kilograms of rice grain.

This place is known for growing rice in gallons

Pasar Minggu Sub-district Head Guguk Trirahayu expressed her appreciation for the consistent efforts to develop the rice-in-a-gallon innovation, which had previously won an award at the national level.

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"This place is known for growing rice in gallons, which has competed in a national competition. Growing rice in gallons in an urban area is very rare, and Pasar Minggu previously managed to plant rice in more than 4,000 gallons," she said on Wednesday (9/23).

She explained that the program focuses not only on food security and rice production, but also on stunting prevention and waste management and sorting.

The achievement has made Pasar Minggu Urban Village a pilot project that has attracted interest from other areas seeking to replicate the initiative.

"This achievement has made Pasar Minggu Urban Village a pilot project that has attracted a lot of interest from other areas looking to learn from and replicate it," she highlighted.

Pasar Minggu Urban Village Head Meilita said the harvest included Mentik Wangi and Sinta Nur rice varieties, grown in around 100 pots made from used water gallons.

"Today, we harvested 20 kilograms of rice grain. We will add it to the cumulative harvest because, God willing, we will harvest the Inpari 49 variety in another two weeks. After that, we will take it to a rice mill," she said.

Meilita detailed that there are currently more than 4,000 rice plants grown in gallons across the sub-district, urban village, and RW levels. Another 2,000 gallons are also being developed at STP AUP.

She added that the innovation is in line with Gubernatorial Instruction (Ingub) No. 5/2026 on waste sorting and processing at the source.

Used water gallons that previously had no value are repurposed as planting containers and combined with compost made from community organic waste and local soil.

"For high-quality seeds, we collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture's Agency for Agricultural Assembly and Modernization (BRMP). Everyone supports our innovation, allowing us to achieve outstanding results at every level," she noted.

Meanwhile, Pasar Minggu Urban Village Urban Farming Advocate Suparno explained that the rice-growing medium is prepared in a 1:1:1 ratio of soil, manure or compost, and rice husk charcoal. The seedlings are grown for 10 to 14 days before being transferred to the gallon containers.

In addition to conventional rice cultivation, local residents have also begun developing an integrated rice-fish farming system by growing rice above ponds used to raise catfish.

"Through collaboration among the government, PKK, Posyandu, and farmer groups (Poktan), the harvest from RPTRA Belimbing is not only intended for household consumption and stunting prevention, but is also being prepared to supply the needs of the Merah Putih Urban Village Cooperative (KMP) to improve the welfare of the surrounding community," he added.