Investors can help transmigrants have better lives

JAKARTA (JP): Investment in settlement areas can improve the quality of life for transmigrants, says an official.

H.J Widarbo, Director General of Mobilization and Supervision at the Ministry of Transmigration, said yesterday that developing new production areas in which the settlers are encouraged to become more productive has been the new goal of the present transmigration policy.

"Unfortunately, lack of capital and technology for the settlers to improve the quality of their crops and cattle, as well as the inability to manage and market the produce have prevented them from attaining the goal," he said.

Widarbo was speaking at the signing of a joint cooperation between the Ministry and three companies, Freeport Indonesia, Mitra Tani Terpadu and Fajar Cendrawasih Raya, to help improve the quality of life of transmigrants in Timika, Irian Jaya.

Widarbo explained that lack of knowledge in agribusiness, for instance, has led to low productivity and crop quality.

Another substantial problem is their poor access to the markets, which makes it hard for the people to market their produce and maintain its quality.

"With the presence of the businessmen as partners for the transmigrants, the obstacles could be overcome," he said.

He said the private sector could help settlers remove the barriers by providing funds, technology and skills on marketing and management.

A total of 2,644 families are now living in six settlement areas in Timika where around 661 hectares have been made available to them for farming. Some 500 new families are slated to occupy two additional settlement areas in the 1994/1995 fiscal year.

Under the cooperation program, Mitra Tani Terpadu plans to introduce competitive technology on horticulture and its management to the settlers, while Fajar Cendrawasih Raya intends to employ cattle fattening methods to meet the demand for meat for the Irianese. Recently, the meat consumed in the province is still mainly imported from other regions in Indonesia.

Freeport Indonesia Company, the copper company operating in the province, will purchase the settlers' produce through the local cooperative units (KUD) to support its 13,000 employees.

Widarbo said that the cooperation between the investors and transmigration should be mutually beneficial.

Yohannes M. Kabei, president director of Fajar Cendrawasih Raya, told reporters that the company's program will be "entrusting" cows to the settlers in which they will receive payment for their services.

He said the settlers are expected to nurture two cows within a year during the fattening period, adding that calfs will be imported from Australia. Kabei did not specify when the program will start.

Sigit H. Samsu, president director of Mitra Tani Terpadu, said that the company will soon hold a survey in Timika to find out what crops grow well in the area. (par)