Reflection on National Farmers Day: Mina Padi Tourism in Banceuy Traditional Village

Reflection on National Farmers Day is part of the development process of the agrarian industry in Indonesia. One thing to be proud of is the result of the empowerment of the Human Initiative in collaboration with Aqua Home Service (AHS), namely Mina Padi Tourism in Banceuy Traditional Village, Subang, West Java.

Mina Padi tourism has an ecotourism concept whose aim is to restore the awareness of local residents to convert cultural and environmental attractions into economic value. Moreover, the Banceuy Traditional Village has great ecotourism potential.

Basically Mina Padi Tourism was set up because of the desire to restore the concept of environmentally friendly fertility by implementing an agricultural system like the ancestors that combined fish farming and agriculture. This fish waste will also provide nutrients for the rice planted.

Mina Padi Banceuy Traditional Village Tour Package

Based on an interview with Bustanul Arifin Nasir, as the West Java branch of the Human Initiative team, there are 3 Mina Padi Tourism packages in the Banceuy Traditional Village:

1. Rice Field Tourism Education Package: This package is specifically for visitors who want to learn how to manage rice fields in an integrated manner using appropriate technology to optimize rice fields through the integration of fish cultivation with rice.
2. In this second package, visitors can go directly to the rice fields to participate in how to manage their own rice. If visitors happen to come during the planting season, they can join local farmers to plant or harvest rice.
3. Cultural Attraction Package: In this package, visitors can witness the ritual before planting rice. The ritual is Ngarak Dewi Sri or the Earth Hajat Ritual.

“We are currently having a promo with a price range starting from Rp. 30,000.00/person – Rp. 150,000.00/person. The IDR 30,000 package includes a visit to the Conservation Park, Leuwi Lawang Tourism, and visitors can see the rice fields. The Rp. 150,000.00 includes a one-night homestay, tourist welcoming attractions, and sightseeing around Mina Padi,” said Kang Bustan.

He further explained, “We are actually open every day, from 09:00 to 20:00 at night. However, Friday is closed, considering that it is a day when it is forbidden to travel, which is customary in Banceuy. This Friday is nature’s rest day, so we don’t serve visits.”

Before the pandemic, the number of visitors to Mina Padi Tourism reached 2,000 per year. This includes domestic and foreign visitors, such as Mexico, USA, and Iran. “Alhamdulillah, we have also received coverage from National TV, such as Jejak si Gundul from Trans 7, as well as Ragam Budaya Indonesia which has helped in the promotion of Mina Padi Tourism,” said Kang Bustan.

Initiator friends, if you are interested, you can directly visit www.kampungadatbanceuy.com or their Instagram at @kampungadatbanceuy. Happy National Farmers Day!