Food crisis in East Nusa Tenggara avoidable

Food crisis in East Nusa Tenggara avoidable

Antara, Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara

East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), an area of 47,349 square kilometers
with an arid climate, has suffered a food crisis this year due to
low rainfall triggered by a shortened rainy season.

The dry season takes place about nine months in a year from
April to November and the rainy season is only three months a
year, from December to March.

The characteristics and condition of the region, with all its
shortcomings, have become a challenge and a problem for the
provincial administration and the people in nearly all sectors of
development. The region, vulnerable to natural disasters, and
constantly hit by a number of extraordinary occurrences such as
the prolonged drought, pest invasions on Sumba island and areas
bordering with East Timor, and the spread of rabies on Flores and
Lembata islands, have definitely had an impact on the socio-
economic lives of the local populace.

According to the vice regent of Belu, Gregor Mau Bili
Fernandez, there are at least two pressing problems facing all
regental administrations in NTT; the high poverty rate and the
low productivity of its people.

Based on data from the local family planning board, there are
at least 50,289 poor families in Belu regency.

"One of the factors is the ineffectual use of technology in
the agricultural sector. The people lack the initiative to grow
alternative crops to support their earnings," said Fernandez in
Atambua recently.

He said that due to the drought this year, a total of 1,879
hectares of corn and rice plantations in four districts of Belu
had failed to reach maturity. As a result, about 1,013 tons of
rice and 16,321 tons of corn could not be salvaged.

Head of the Sikka Agricultural Office on Flores island Markus
Meo said that the projected data on food crops showed that five
of the 11 districts facing harvest failure now were Paga, Lela,
Kawapante, Bola and Alok.

It is predicted that about 2,709 tons of rice, 1,801 tons of
gogo rice (from non-irrigated rice fields) and 10,039 tons of
corn will not be harvested due to the water shortage.

"Despite of that, there are still rice stocks ready at the
provincial logistics agency (Dolog) for emergency situations.
Some 1,483 tons of rice will be provided in the form of cheap
rice by the special market operation (OPK), and 1,254 tons of
food supplies from outside the region, not including supplies
from the livestock, farming and fishery sectors," said Markus.

Belu Vice Regent Fernandez said that in a food crisis like
this, residents need not eat rice only but could opt for edible
roots. The administration will overcome the problem by
implementing the program of cheap rice for the poor.

But the practice will not be a sustainable one as residents
will tend not to work their land, he said.

A community figure in Sasita Mean district, Arnoldus Asa, said
that residents had already planted corn in the previous planting
season but had faced water shortages due to the drought.

"Even though the rainfall is starting to become normal, it is
already too late now because corn and some rice crops have
already died. There is no other choice because the residents are
used to growing rice and corn during every planting season," said
Arnoldus.

An advocate for the farmers, Father Urbanus Hala, acknowledged
that it was no easy task to urge residents to plant crops other
than corn and rice.

They are already accustomed to monocultural methods and
cultivate a few hectares of land just to meet a year's supply of
food. "We have encouraged them not to depend on corn and rice
only but benefit from the vast idle plots of land by growing
alternative crops. If they fail to plant and harvest, they can
sell the produce to buy food for their families," said Urbanus.

"We will empower agribusiness methods starting from what the
farmers possess, and pay special attention to the environment,
socio-cultural, economic and local values, justness and human
aspects," he said.