Protection Strategies on Irrigated Farm Lands in Semarang District Using Analysis Hierarchi Process

Semarang District is an area which one of its focuses is on improving regional economy mainly based on agricultural sector. The agricultural activities which still depend on lands make those are considered having an important role. It is supported with regulations which protect the functional changes of farm lands, especially the irrigated ones. However, during a period of 2010-2014, the irrigated farm lands were reduced. A strategy to protect those irrigated farm lands is highly necessary, that is, by considering criteria to prioritize on protection of the irrigated farm lands in Semarang district. This study uses a method of Analysis Hierarchi Process (AHP) with a purposive sampling technique to collect 10 respondents. A protection strategy on Irrigated farm lands in Semarang district consists of several criteria with a prioritized program criterion of sustainable land and water utilization (0.322). The following criteria are optimization of irrigation network performance (0.241), law (0.186), economy (0.160), and social (0.091). There are some suggestions after conducting this study, such as providing education and socialization of legislations of law on farm land protection especially the irrigated ones, construction of reservoirs and dams, utilization of organic materials on farm lands management, irrigation network rehabilitation, strengthening legislations on protection of farm lands, authorities' closer controls and supervisions, facilitation in obtaining agricultural inputs to improve welfare by empowering families, owners, and managers of those irrigated farm lands, as well as escorting policies on layout and regional plans to maintain the wide agricultural areas of irrigated farm lands.


INTRODUCTION
Economic development is an effort to improve people's lives. To improve living standards, each individual should perform production activities. Indonesia, as a developing country, still depends on agricultural products that the major production activities come from agricultural sectors. Agricultural sector is one driving force sector in regional economic development. The development of agricultural sector as a primary food sector in Indonesia is greatly important for the development of Indonesia (Jumna, 2015). Agricultural sector has an important role not only in fulfilling the needs on food, but also in providing employment for many people to generate income. In addition, agricultural sector alsoprovides contribution in GDP formation in Indonesia (BPS Indonesia, 2015).
Semarang RegencyRegencyis anarea which one of its focuses on improving regional economy mainly based on agricultural sector. However,population increase results in the increase of needsonfood, economic activities, and demands for buildings to support the economic conditions that competitions on land utilization are taking place. Thus, the availability of lands for agriculture activities, including farm lands, is reducing as the impacts of competitions in land utilization.Economic development in Semarang Regency through agricultural activities as well as at national level influenceson the fulfillment of needs on food, people who generate income from agricultural sector, its contributions to GDP, and the most important thing is that agricultural sector is a sector producing commodities which are then used as raw and additional materials innon-agricultural sectors.
The existence of land as a place forimplementation of development is greatlynecessary. Land utilizationis not separated from its inside part,calledsoil. Soil in agricultural development in Indonesia has a very important role. Soil as a production factor in agriculture also plays an

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important role in producing agricultural commodities, such as rice. Soil which contains chemical elements are parts of land utilized as a place forthe growth of agricultural crops, including all environmental conditions which consist of climate, water resources, topography, and natural vegetation conditions, which all potentially mayinfluencethe land utilization (Rai & Adnyana, 2011) Theagricultural sector's influences result inthe efforts to protect agricultural lands, especially the irrigated farm lands in Semarang Regency. Sincefarm lands in Semarang Regencyare dominated bythe irrigated ones,theirreduction is greater than that ofnon-irrigated farm lands.According toAdimihardja (2006), one factoraccelerating the conversion process of irrigated agricultural lands is rapid development of non-agricultural sectorsin order to obtain those which are ready to use, especially from biophysical and accessibility point of views. The needs may generally be fulfilledwiththe irrigated agricultural lands. Off thosesupportingareasin the surrounding of SemarangRegency, Semarang Regency is a region with the highest decrease of irrigated farm lands in a period 2010-2014 as shown in Table 1 below:

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The decrease of those irrigated farm lands occurs annually. Stakeholders' awareness on the decreasing farm lands is greatly required. The conversion of irrigated farm landsmay cause long term permanent although the conversion may no longer exist (Irawan, 2005).Irrigation systems will be vital to help meet future food needs and reverse past environmental degradation, even given higher yields from rainfed agriculture (Mukherji & Facon, 2009). Irrigation networks are the investment forms due to the sustainable needs on food.According to Ilham, Syaukat, & Friyatno (2005), investment is defined as funds to createfarm lands and build dams and irrigation systems. The irrigated farm landsare relatively more productive, and are relatively costlywhen land reclamation is required for residential purposes.
Due to the importance of irrigated farm lands, the government is encouraged to issue a policy through LawNo. 41, 2009on sustainable food agricultural land protection. In Law No. 41 of 2009 on Food Agricultural Landsstipulated as Sustainable Food Agricultural Land is, one of them,in the form of irrigated lands. Thus, the layout existence which supports sustainable food agricultural land protection in each region is greatly necessary.
One of those areas trying to implement itis Semarang. ByRegional RegualationNo.6, 2011onlayout planning system of Semarang Regency in a period of 2011-2031, one of them,containsthe preventionof agricultural wetland conversion, especially the irrigated farm lands into non-agricultural lands for cultivation.Based on background of the research problems described, analysis on protection efforts of the irrigated farm lands in Semarang Regencyby setting the program criteria which are possible to perform and the prioritized strategies to protect those irrigated farm lands in Semarang Regency.

RESEARCH METHODS
The samples of this study are 10 respondents, hereinafter referred as keypersonscollected with a purposive sampling technique. Those key persons' objective competence, knowledge, and measure are considered and adjusted with this study, covering: Agricultural Office; Agrarian Office; Regional Planning Agency; Regional Secretariat of Legal Section Office; Agricultural Extension agency; Academicians; Chairman of Farmers Group 1; Chairman of Farmers Group 2; Irrigated Farm Land Owners 1; Irrigated Farm Land Owners 2 In order to determine types of programs necessary to be prioritized in the efforts to protect irrigated farm lands in Semarang Regency, AHP method is implemented. AHP is a method of comprehensive decision making by considering those qualitative and quantitative aspects (Sucihatiningsih, 2014).To determine priority elements in a decision matter is by makinga pair-wise comparison, that is, each element is compared in pairs against the determined criteria. The pair-wise comparison is in the forms of matrix. The completion of the pair-wise comparison matrix uses numbers describes the more relatively important elements than the others (Sucihatiningsih, 2014). AHP methodology allows us to determine which alternative is the most consistent with our criteria and the level of importance that we give them (Mu & Pereyra-Rojas, 2017) Description: Criteria group for sustainable programs of land and water utilization PLA: land and water utilizationsin accordance with the supporting potentials and capacities ALA: land and water allocation for the appropriate utilization KLA: land and water conservation leading to the sustainability resources Criteria group for irrigation network performance optimization MDK: design modification (improvement) for irrigation networks RHB: irrigation network rehabilitations SOP: Repairs of irrigation system operation and maintenance (OP) Criteria group of economic programs INS: Incentives DES: non-incentive applicability Criteria group for legal programs UU: Strengthening legislation of laws PPK: closer control and supervision Criteria Group for social programs PLH: Extension activities SOS: Socialization

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Priority protection of irrigated farm lands is made by selecting the determined criteria, covering land and water sustainability, irrigation network performance optimization, economy, law, and social. Those criteria arebenchmarks to consider or determine anything related to alternative strategies. Of the alternative strategies available in each criterion, the followings are criteria and alternative strategies resulted from the efforts of irrigated farm land protection in Semarang Regency calculated using expert choice software.

Figure 2. Criteria of Irrigated farm land Protection
This suggests that arrangements in good land and water use are a top priority in the strategy of irrigated farmland protection.Without appropriate management, irrigated agriculture can be detrimental to the environment and endanger sustainability (Howell, 2001). Land and water sustainable utilization is the most important prioritized criterion in the protection of irrigated farm lands in Semarang Regency with a priority percentage of 32.2%. Due to figure 3, it shows that land and water utilization which is in accordance with the supporting potentialsis one of the most prioritized alternative in the protection of irrigated farm landsfrom land and water sustainability utilization criterion with a priority percentage of 49.6%. Land and water utilization which is in accordance with the supporting potentials and resources is one land resource utilization without changing the utilization of potentials and capacities of the existing lands and that of water resources whichmay be utilized all the time based on land capacitiesto beirrigated.
Conditions related to the supporting potentials and capacities of the changedfarm lands, land physical condition which should be able to produce is lost due to utilization changes ofthe irrigated lands. When dry season is coming, the water availability is reducedand eventuallyinfluences the production quality. The harvest quality resulted in the dry seasonmay be

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betteras long as the reservoirs to collect the wateris well provided. Thus,the collected and stored water in the reservoirs may be utilized to see the production quality in the dry season.
According to Sumaryanto (2006) irrigation water is a strategic agricultural resource, unlike the other inputs, such as fertilizer and pesticide which role dimension is relatively selected, limited by theselected production process.Therole of irrigation water has a broader dimension which does not only influence productivity.Accordingly, the second priority to protect the irrigated farm lands from agricultural sustainability utilization criterion is agricultural land and water conservation leading to resource sustainability with a priority percentage of 28.1%. The land reduction related to the existingfarm lands is due to the processing performed by humansthemselves (agricultural small holders) with poor agricultural sciences andexploited land management due tothe increase of needs,reduced farm lands and/or excessive overuses of chemical fertilizers as well as those ofchemical pesticides.
The availability of water is sometimesinsufficient, especially in dry season. In addition, the existing water sources havealso been reduced. The water used for farm land irrigationsis also polluted with a lot of garbage. Land and water conditions require repairsthatland and water conservation may lead to the resource sustainability, aiming to preserve land and water resources both in quality and quantity by wisely utilizing the existing resources that those may last longer.
The last priority is allocation of land and water utilizationbased on a priority percentage of 22.3%. Allocation may be defined as a consideration and determination onnumerousresource areas of lands and water which may be utilized. The numerous areas considered as lands are those which can be utilized while numerous areas for water arethe amount of water which can be utilized for each determined sector. Competitions on land and water utilizationmay not be avoided, yetmay be organized through the determined allocationsby the government as regulation to utilize resources.
Irrigation network performance optimization criterionis the second highest prioritized criterion for protection strategieson the irrigated farm lands in Semarang Regency with a priority percentage of 24.1%.

. Irrigation Network Performance Optimization Alternative Criteria
Based on Figure 4, it shows that irrigation network rehabilitation is the most important priority of irrigation network performance optimization criterion with a percentage of 52.8%. Irrigation network rehabilitation is intended to improve water gates which are covered with sediment, leaking, and garbage along the irrigation network by restoring irrigation functions and services. According to Sumaryanto (2006), the poor performance is caused by the degradation of infrastructure functions on irrigation system as well as management of irrigation operation and maintenance. Degradation of infrastructure functions, one of them, is caused by infrastructure damages, sedimentation on irrigation system, weed spread in both distribution and drainage channels.
The second priority is improving irrigationoperation system and maintenance with a percentage of 27.9%. The inadequate water supply is caused bythe poor awareness on water Inconsistency Ratio = 0.1

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distribution schedules made that sometimes conflicts arise as the result of water obtaining competitions. It is necessary to improve the roles of farming communities in developing collective actions in maintaining irrigation networks. Collective action development is required to improve farmers' attention upon the roles of irrigation, mainly due to theschedule consequences made that each farmer groupmay not feel worried uponthe water distribution schedules agreed before. The last priority is irrigation network design modificationwith apriority percentage of 19.2%. The modification is in the forms of irrigation network design improvements that water may smoothly come into the rough areas and in facts, it is found that there are stillmany irrigation network constructionswhich are susceptible to damage as they are constructed based on tender system. Irrigation network design modifications are highly required that irrigation networks may not be easily damaged. The next priority criterion in protection of irrigated farm lands in Semarang Regencyislawwith a priority percentage of 18.6%. Based on figure 5, it shows that two alternative strategies in protection of irrigated farm landsdue to the law criterion have the same priority percentage of 50% for strengthening legislation of laws and of 50% for closer control and supervision.
Government through a number of legislation of laws has issued policies to protect the irrigated farm lands, one of them is law. No. 41 of 2009 on protection of sustainable food agricultural lands which isactively implemented through regional layout planning, one of those, is Regional Regulation No. 6 of 2011 onlayout planning of Semarang Regencyas reference to protect the irrigated farm lands. Regional regulations are applied within RTRW which organize the irrigation areaselsewhere even those with no-irrigation but provide good crop production, may be preserved. However, those regulations are still less optimal.
Although land utilization changes have already qualifiedthe administrative set,the presence of non-farm buildings is unavoidable due to the increasing population. In addition, due to the data released by Central Statistics Bureau, the utilization of irrigated farm lands in SemarangRegencyis reducing. Thus, regulationsemphasizing on maintenance of the irrigated farm lands is greatly required.
According to Sumaryanto (2006)the implementation has not been optimally realized due to the lack of supporting data and inadequate proactive attitudeson controls over farm land utilization changes. Thus, it is necessary to strengthenthe legislation of laws to protect the irrigated farm lands in Semarang Regency by providing incentives and non-incentives which specifically have not beenformally set, yet generally has already been implemented. The regional regulationon LP2B is included into one of thoseon-process legal products.
Priority is required to be made in balanceby strengthening legislation of laws, called closer control and supervision. Supervision and control over the status of lands with utilization changespreventively made by the Agricultural Office and repressively bycivil service police unit (Satpol PP). There arealsooutside land controls called the administrative land controller who have the authority on land administration.According toSumaryanto (2006) Inconsistency Ratio = 0.0

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systems and the applicable law enforcement. It has become a public opinion thatlaw enforcement in Indonesia is extremely weak due to various factors.
The fourth priority criterion inprotection strategies of the irrigated farm lands in Semarang Regencyis the economy with a priority percentage of 16%. Those conditions are associated with economic facilitations in management of those irrigated lands in Semarang Regency, including rules on incentives (stimulating facilitation) and non-incentives which have not been formalized in a regulationin Semarang Regency,yet implemented in the forms of programs which support the agricultural activities. Incentives are thegreatest priority for the irrigated farm land managers and owners in SemarangRegency and provide assistance in protecting the irrigated farm lands, including by increasinggrains' Selling Cost Price, fertilizer subsidies, seed price subsidies, farm road rehabilitations, and availability of mechanical equipment for land management and irrigation pumps. Incentive top priority for the irrigated farm land owners includes improvementof grain price, fertilizer subsidies, seed price subsidies, farm road rehabilitations and mechanical equipment for land management andirrigation pumps.Grains' Selling Cost Price improvement is highly required by the irrigated farm land owners and managersas they found problems of as price instability. When coming to harvest seasons, the Selling Cost Price drops.Grains' Selling Cost Price is increasing, yetinsufficient for farmers' daily needs.
Subsidized fertilizer, beside as farm lands' stimulus, is also one important component inmanagement of farm landsto reduce expenses infood production. However, various problems are found. The encountering difficulties lieon systems. Government has made numerous efforts that all farm land managers are expected to easily obtainthe subsidized fertilizers. However, many irrigated land managers find it difficult to obtain subsidized fertilizers.Subsidized seeds are not annually provided. The availability of subsidized seedsmay help facilitatefarm land managers'burdens to buy superior seeds at affordable prices which enablethem to improve productivity and quality of food production.
Most farm roads are still in the forms of land that all farm lands are not reachable. Thus,irrigation networks are not well improved. The needed materials are hardto reach the location that costs for irrigation networks are increasing twice bigger. Empirically, thefarm roads' poor quality isresulted from the rehabilitation low priority. Repairs on farm roads are highly necessary that vehicles may passthrough the farm roads to easily transport the harvests.
Irrigation pumps are provided to guarantee the availability of water for each farmers group. However,the available irrigation pumps may not be utilized as the amount of water is inadequatelyavailable. Thus, technological touch and activitiesare greatly necessary to restore the availability of water supply that can be utilized any time.
Mechanical equipment availability to maximize land processing is highly required by each farmers group, yet the agricultural equipmentis less compatible with the irrigated farm land physical conditionsas well as that with the natural conditions that the utilization may not bemaximally performed.
The last prioritized criterionof protection strategies for the irrigated farm lands is social with a priority percentage of 9.1% of all specified criteria. Based on figure 7, it shows that Agricultural extensions due to the irrigated farm landsand land conversion impactsmay be necessarily performed by the government's agriculturalextension officers to all managers of the irrigated lands. Extension activity is defined as an effort made to improve people's knowledge onirrigated farm land multi-functions andfurther impactsof agricultural land conversion to maintain the agricultural land preservation.
Government actively providesagricultural extensionsand socializes regulations of law on protection of the irrigated farm lands. The second priority after the extension activities is socialization which is defined as introduction regulations of lawmadeby the government and are applied to farmers to provide information in preservingthosefarm lands for sustainable food, especially the irrigated ones as well asto provide steps or strategies to make in achieving the programs.

CONCLUSION
Regarding to the protection strategies on the irrigated farm lands in Semarang Regency, there are several priority criteria to make, includingland and water sustainable utilization whichhasa priority percentage of 32.2% over the whole criteria. Education is required bythe irrigated farm land owners and managersupon the benefits of the irrigated farm lands through extension activities and socialization of laws that the irrigated farm land utilizationis in accordance with the supporting potentials, capacities, andmore importantly, escorting policies on protection of the agricultural landsfor sustainable food by maintaining the width of the land areasstipulated in RTRW regulations in Semarang Regency even if there are utilization changes of irrigated farm lands for public interests which areconsidered more important, urgent, and sustainable for the National development.Government has made some plans dealing with the availability of water supply required by the irrigated farm landsby constructing reservoirs and dams as well as improving the irrigated farm land physical conditionsbyutilizing organic materials both fertilizers and supporting pharmaceutical products in organizingthe irrigated farm lands and also improvingthe irrigation network water quality.
In order to restore the irrigation functions and services, rehabilitation of irrigation network is greatly required. The irrigation network rehabilitation is made by optimizing the irrigation network performance. In addition to both aspects above, the other one made to protect the irrigated farm landsis through legal aspects by strengthening the legislation of laws in order to optimize the protection of the farm lands, especially irrigated ones. To complete the existing regulations, the new ones should be made as well as having closer control and supervision by the authorities to perform both preventive and repressive actions.
The last one is incentives which facilitatefarm land owners and managersin obtaining agricultural inputs andsupports. The other incentives are madeto improvethe welfare through Inconsistency Ratio = 0.0

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family empowerment of the irrigated farm land owners and managerswhich are adjusted with the owned motivation and skills. It is greatly necessary as income generated from the irrigated farm landisunable to meet farmers' daily needs.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my deepest gratitude uponthe assistance provided by Semarang State University, Faculty of Economics, and Department of Economic Development.