Land Certificates End Agrarian Conflicts for Women in Blitar

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Ownership of land certificates has brought real change to female farmers in Desa Soso, Blitar Regency, East Java Province. After years of facing uncertainty, they now feel more confident in managing their gardens and improving their families’ welfare. Owning land is not just about legal certainty, but also about hope for a more decent life. With clear land ownership, the female farmers in Desa Soso can now not only meet daily needs but also have greater opportunities to enhance family welfare, including funding their children’s education. Patma (55), a female farmer from Desa Soso, recounted the long experience faced by her community. In efforts to maintain the land, Patma even once faced obstruction by company security personnel. “In the past, when we wanted to plant, we were afraid. But if we didn’t plant, how could we eat,” said Patma, quoted from the Ministry of Agraria and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) website, Wednesday (22/4/2026). In 2022, through the Agrarian Reform programme from the Ministry of ATR/BPN, the land that previously lacked legal certainty finally became officially owned by the community. The Blitar Regency Land Office issued redistribution land certificates covering 83.85 hectares to Patma and 527 other families as recipients of Ownership Title Certificates in Desa Soso. “Now, after the Agrarian Reform has redistributed the land, it’s certainly safer and more peaceful,” said Patma. This legal certainty is also felt by Indra (32), another female farmer. She stated that owning the certificate allows them more freedom to determine crop types and plan for their family’s future. From an economic perspective, significant changes are starting to appear. The community is utilising the land more optimally, one of which is by planting maize. Through cooperation with PT Syngenta Indonesia, the farmers receive assistance with seeds, guidance, and market access with selling prices of around Rp 8,500 to Rp 9,000 per kg.