Dynamics of Peasants’ Household Rice Consumption in Central Java

Abstract

This research aimed to discover the dynamics and the peasants’ household rice consumption pattern in Central Java. This research employed a qualitative approach, with the interview and focus group discussion being the techniques of data collection. The research location was selected purposely by taking two regencies constituting the main rice production centers in Central Java: Grobogan and Cilacap. The results show that peasants’ household rice consumption pattern in Central Java was affected by the unhulled rice price, planting pattern, and profit-sharing system. The unhulled rice price affected planting pattern because when the unhulled rice price was low or predicted to be lower in the next harvest season, the rice-rice-rice planting pattern would change torice-rice-palawija (secondary crop). Rice would be stored as consumption reserve and marketed gradually as the price increased gradually. If the price condition increased, rice would be marketed by taking the reserve for household consumption. Farmers had a local principle that “rice is a source of life;selling rice means selling the life.” Local wisdom of profit sharing, such as “maro”,“bawon”, “pemajek”, “mrapat”, and “mrotelu”, to areas, the populations of which were tenant farmers, ensured that the rice consumption could be fulfilled through the profit-sharing system.