Petani Desa Jetak, Kecamatan Sidoharjo, Sragen, menggelar tasyakuran Memetri Budaya Methil di area persawahan, Selasa (27/10/2026). (Foto: Diskominfo Sragen/jatengprov.go.id)
SRAGEN — Wrapped in traditional lurik cloth and wearing caping conical hats, farmers danced together across the rice fields of Jetak Village, Sidoharjo District, Sragen Regency, Central Java, on Tuesday, 27 October 2026. Accompanied by the Javanese song Gugur Gunung, they held the Memetri Budaya Methil thanksgiving to celebrate an abundant harvest.
Methil is a Javanese farming tradition handed down through generations. Through this thanksgiving, Jetak’s farmers not only celebrated the fruits of their hard work but also sought to preserve their agrarian heritage so it is not lost to time.
Born from the Farmers’ Own Wishes
Didik Sunardi, chair of the Dharma Tirta Tani Mulyo Water Users’ Association (P3A) in Jetak Village, said the thanksgiving came from the farmers themselves. They want the methil tradition to stay alive, especially among the younger generation.
“This methil thanksgiving is what the farmers asked for. We want to preserve and develop this noble culture, which many young people have started to abandon, at the end of every year as an expression of gratitude for an abundant harvest.”
Didik Sunardi, Chair of P3A Dharma Tirta Tani Mulyo, Jetak Village
Beyond giving thanks, the event is expected to become a regular fixture that strengthens solidarity among the village’s farmers.
240 Hectares, 725 Farmers, 11 Tons per Hectare
Didik explained that Jetak Village has around 240 hectares of farmland served by technical irrigation from the Gajah Mungkur Reservoir in Wonogiri. The land is worked by 725 farmers organized into eight farmer groups, following a rice–rice–secondary crops (palawija) planting pattern each year in line with regional cropping guidance.
The results are encouraging. This harvest season, rice productivity in Jetak reached about 11 tons per hectare. The achievement has motivated farmers to keep their land productive and secure the water supply that sustains their livelihoods.
Sragen, a Food Buffer for Central Java
Sragen Regent Sigit Pamungkas, who attended the event, praised Jetak’s harvest and the farmers’ diligence in managing their land.
“We are delighted that the harvest in Jetak Village is very good,” Sigit said.
He said productivity like this is vital to maintaining Sragen’s role as one of Central Java’s food buffer regions. Sragen produces around 350,000 tons of unhulled rice a year, far above local needs of about 100,000 tons a year. That surplus makes Sragen a major contributor to food security at the provincial level.
In Jetak’s rice fields, tradition and productivity go hand in hand: ancestral culture is cared for, and the harvest is abundant.
Summarized from the Central Java Provincial Government portal (jatengprov.go.id) and Berita Jogja (in Indonesian).
