Jakartans turn to farming to survive crisis

Jakartans turn to farming to survive crisis

By A.A. Aribowo

JAKARTA (JP): The country's capital is known as a "concrete
jungle" but, among the high-rises and flyovers, are open spaces
offering a promising future for farming.

Sites alongside rivers, such as those near Jl. Cempaka Putih
Barat and Jl. Lodan, North Jakarta, are preferred because of
their accessibility to a vital water supply. Farmers usually
water their plants twice a day, in the morning and afternoon,
using buckets.

A wide variety of fruit and vegetables are grown, such as
lettuce, spinach and papaya.

"In one harvest, every member may collect up to 20 sacks of
vegetables, which can be put into 2,000 smaller units as tied
bundles," said Yusuf, head of the farmers in Cempaka Putih, said.

The 57-year-old man added that the vegetables were preordered
by shop owners from the Pulo Gadung and Senen markets for Rp 80
per bundle.

With 20 other farmers, Yusuf tills 2.5 hectares in Cempaka
Putih Barat, Central Jakarta.

"The soil where we plant our vegetables is considerably
fertile, it has been proven. In just three months, the vegetables
are already ready for harvesting," Yusuf added.

Five of the group of 20 were recently made redundant,
according to the head of the Cempaka Putih district, Ibrahim
Ishak.

The Jakarta governor, Sutiyoso, said about 800 hectares of
idle land in the city had been utilized for agriculture. Seeds
are provided from the city agriculture office, and vegetables
will also be planted on green areas fringing main roads.

The urban farmers mainly come from Bogor, Karawang, Indramayu,
and Kuningan, West Java. Sutiyoso and the five Jakarta mayors
have agreed to allot idle land for those who wish to use it to
grow vegetables. However, it is a strictly conditional
arrangement.

"If the land owner wishes to use the land for other purposes
and asks for the land to be returned, the farmers must give it
up."

Models

Several projects are considered models for others. One
includes farmers using six hectares owned by PT Indoafica Ausin
and PT Pembangunan Jaya in Sunter. Available land in North
Jakarta covers 1,300 hectares, of which 230 hectares is already
farmed.

In East Jakarta, where there are 804 hectares of land
available, farmers have planted vegetables and paddy on 150
hectares of idle land owned by property firm PT Modernland, plus
60 hectares owned by PT Menteng Metropolitan. The five hectares
land owned by State Housing Company is soon to be planted with
vegetables and protective shrubbery.

Earlier reports said that 87,000 hectares of land in Greater
Jakarta currently lay idle.

There are definite limitations to the urban agriculture
scheme.

Behind the optimism of utilizing urban areas for agriculture,
there is always the liability that farmers must leave when the
land owners want it back.

Nevertheless, its prospects remain promising in the crisis.

Minister of Land Affairs/Head of Land Board Hasan Basri Durin
encouraged farmers to plant short-term vegetables. He recommended
that the usage of the land should be discussed thoroughly between
the owners and the farmers through institutions such as the city
administration, the Armed Forces or the national agrarian office.

Minister of Agriculture Soleh Solahuddin declared that it was
time for Indonesia to think more about usage of urban areas for
agriculture. Urbanization should be accompanied by agricultural
activities to meet the city's food requirements and conserve the
environment.

"That is why in the urban-agricultural system, the soil is not
a dominant production factor, thus the usage of the land must
involve ecological aspects."

According to Soleh, the urban agricultural pattern will be one
unit of industry which is continuous and environmentally
friendly, with a social dimension (provision of work) that is
characterized by mass production.

"The presence of agriculture in the city will rejuvenate the
city's 'lungs', so that our city will be cleaner and more
comfortable place to live."

The prospect of urban-agriculture, besides being socially and
ecologically beneficial, may also replace the city's image of
being a consumptive unit in food requirements.

An Urbaning World, Global Report on Human Settlements 1996,
conducted by the United Nation's habitat department, states that
the application of urban-agriculture in the future may use
organic waste processed into fertilizer. If the Jakarta farmers
mean to implement organic waste -- currently they use water from
often polluted rivers -- then it is important to ensure that
their products meet health standards.