City's remaining farmers struggle to survive

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In the city where land is valued more for its proximity to business centers and most has been converted into roads, parking lots, buildings and other concrete monstrosities, there is little room for those who want to make their living from land cultivation.

Among those who struggle to earn a living from tilling the remnants of Jakarta's arable land is Waridi, 64. He, along with 20 other farmers on the banks of a flood canal in Central Jakarta, plant a variety of vegetables on scraps of land.

"I've been a farmer for more than twenty years, and yet my luck hasn't changed," he said, adding that he became a farmer after his trade business went bankrupt in 1978.

Waridi said he made a pittance from planting spinach, onions and lettuce on 450-square meters of land.

"If my vegetables are of good quality, I would be lucky to bring home Rp 500,000 (US$55) when I harvest every two months," he told The Jakarta Post.

In Kebon Melati, Central Jakarta, there are around 40 farmers who cultivate crops on the banks of the flood canal. The land on the riverbank officially belongs to the Ministry of Resettlement and Regional Infrastructure. A handful of farmers can also be found working their land on the Kali Malang river bank in front of Shangri-la Hotel in Karet, Central Jakarta.

The riverbank location also brings many problems for land tillers.

"In 1997, we suffered a great loss when a river dredging project was undertaken. Mud mixed with all kinds of garbage was dumped onto our land destroying all the crops," he said.

Another farmer whose plot is located next to Waridi's, Ibrahim, 43, added that after the project was completed, farmers on the river bank had to wait for six months before the land was again ready for cultivation.

Ibrahim was quick to add that the same misfortune would hit them in the event of flooding.

"In the last year's flood, water overflowing from the river swept away all of our crops, leaving nothing but mud and garbage," he told the Post as he sheltered from the rain in his tiny hut by the railroad.

To make things worse, a strange plant disease is attacking their crops.

"This strange disease causes small holes on the vegetables' leaves," Waridi said, speculating that torrential rain might have caused the disease.

Last January, he said, they made no profit as the crops had to be harvested prematurely because of the disease.

Waridi, also has to till the land on his own as his eight children refuse to help.

"They prefer to work as construction workers rather than helping their father grow vegetables," he said, adding that most of his sons were currently unemployed.

Despite all his woes, Waridi has no plans to look for another job, saying farming was the only occupation he was good at.

Ibrahim said that he occupied the land for free and had been given permission by the authorities to use it.

"But I still have no assurances of keeping this land, as I only have the right to use the land. The government can remove us anytime in the future and we can do nothing about it," he said.