Production Risk Management for Local Rice Varieties in Tidal Lands: A Local Wisdom Approach in Barito Kuala Regency

Local rice farming in the tidal lands of Barito Kuala Regency plays a strategic role in supporting regional food security. Still, it faces relatively high production risks due to tidal dynamics, soil acidity, and climate uncertainty. In these conditions, farmers have developed various local wisdom practices over generations as adaptation strategies to manage production uncertainty. This study aims to analyze the level of production risk of local rice field farming, measure expected production returns under risk conditions, identify local wisdom practices in risk management, and analyze the relationship between the level of adoption of local wisdom and production risk. The research was conducted in Barito Kuala Regency and involved 60 local rice farmers purposively selected. Data analysis was carried out quantitatively using production risk indicators in the form of average, variance, standard deviation, and Coefficient of Variation (CV), as well as expected return analysis, combined with qualitative analysis of farmers' local wisdom practices. The study found that local rice farming had a medium production risk, with a CV of 0.20 and an average production of 3,215 kg/ha. The expected return analysis indicates an expected production range of 3,780–3,850 kg/ha. Local wisdom practices, such as planting at times based on tidal cycles, using adaptive local varieties, traditional water management, and simultaneous planting, have been proven to help suppress production fluctuations. The high adoption of local wisdom correlates with lower production risk. This study concludes that local wisdom is an effective and sustainable mechanism for managing production risks in tidal land paddy rice farming.