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.