Local agricultural business growing in Mimika

Local agricultural business growing in Mimika

Yosias Magai and his wife are feeding their ducks in their fenced backyard when someone wanting something from their small shop in front of their house calls out. Yosias asks his wife to attend to their customer.

Magai, often called Yos by close friends, is one of a growing number of Papuans who are venturing into small and medium sized businesses in Mimika district, particularly in the livestock breeding and agricultural sectors.

Two years ago he received 200 ducks as assistance to become a duck breeder, and now Magai owns close to 2000. In the meantime he has begun to breed pigs, and his wife runs a small shop at home in the SP-12 settlement in the lowlands.

The story of how Magai and his companions at SP-12 have made significant progress in their agricultural businesses, particularly in livestock breeding, is not a brief one.

Several years ago, the expansion of PT Freeport Indonesia mining operations generated development in various aspects of the company, becoming an object of interest to people in the mountain regions -- more often called the highlands by the people of Mimika. The Utekini valley, which lies between the mining town of Tembagapura and the village of Banti, where the indigenous people of the area, the Amungme, live, had become a magnet for people from other tribes in the mountain regions.

The Utekini valley quickly became overcrowded and the situation deteriorated when intertribal strife broke out in 1997.

The Mimika district government then acceded to the request of the Amungme living in the Waa valley, that the migrants from other tribes be relocated in a separate settlement.

The Mimika government offered the migrants two choices: to return to their original homeland, or to take part in a local transmigration program to the lowlands near Timika. A small number of these people opted to return to their homeland with financial assistance, while the majority chose to join the local transmigration program to the lowlands.

The Mimika government provided settlements for about 350 families in SP-12, and for 93 families in SP-9. The relocation process, which was undertaken with the support of facilities and funds from Freeport, required a period of more than three years, as well as various land preparations for infrastructure and farming, and public health assistance from both the local government and Freeport.

"When we first arrived down here, we found it very hot, and sometimes we would buy ice to cool our feet," says Julius Elas, one of the farmers and cattle breeders in SP-12. "Now I believe I made the right decision." Elas is close to making the final payment for the chickens he acquired on a loan from the Jayasakti Mandiri Foundation, or YJM, which is Freeport's partner in the development of agricultural enterprises for the highland people in SP-12 and SP-9.

When they had just arrived in the new settlements, the highland people worked in land clearance projects and in Freeport' programs to ensure that the newcomers and the land were free of malaria and other potential public health problems.

Following that and to date, they work for YJM, which manages agricultural development in the two locations. The strategy set out by the foundation together with Freeport was to shape the people into self-reliant farming entrepreneurs. Community members were employed to build and develop the agricultural center at SP- 12, and at the same time they were given loans in the form of seedlings and livestock such as chickens and ducks to be bred in their respective plots of land.

Each family was allotted a house and a two-hectare plot of land. In addition Freeport built other facilities such as roads, bridges, clean water supply, schools, clinics, and churches to support their well-being. In the first year, the communities received financial aid and were allocated staples such as rice and cooking oil. Over 100 hectares of land has been selectively cleared, and this area is gradually planned to extend to over 200 hectares.

The foundation felt it had to employ the people on a continuous basis, specifically at the agricultural development center itself in order to educate them into changing from using unsustainable farming practices to modern sustainable agricultural methods. At the same time, YJM encouraged the people to be responsible and to eventually be self-reliant. This objective led YJM to apply a program wherein the recipients are obliged to repay the YJM for the ducks, chickens, seedlings and other necessities in installments.

To achieve the objective, YJM and Freeport believed it was important to provide training outside the region for several people in order for them to learn the entire process of the farming enterprise including the marketing and financial aspects.

They chose West Java as the training ground, because of the presence of model fowl breeding farms. Those selected for the training were expected to become models for the rest of the communities in SP-9 and SP-12, and indeed they did become so.

Marliyanto, a Freeport staff member who supervises the community development program in SP-9 and SP-12 and its workers, also provides training and introduces various farming methods and livestock types that are suited to local conditions and are calculated to bring favorable results in the future.

In crop management, for instance, hydroponics -- the method of cultivation using liquids as a source of nutrients -- has been applied because of the heavy rainfall in the lowlands. Crops grown using this method include tomatoes, chilli peppers, and various vegetables. Meanwhile, the plots of land have already produced various horticultural crops and legumes.

New species of chickens and ducks that are more resistant to disease and produce more eggs have been introduced. Pig farming has been initiated, as this livestock is an important part of Papuan culture. SP-12 in particular has become a supply source for farm products and eggs to the people of Timika and Freeport employees.

Marliyanto explains that the challenges faced have not been small, particularly during the early stages of development. Although these mountain people had farmed before, their know-how was greatly lacking, as their previous farming experience was limited to staples such as yams and taro. Their low level of formal education was an added challenge. At the same time they had become accustomed to a "cash economy" and wanted quick results for their efforts.

At the same time they continue to maintain their traditional custom of carrying communal loads, such as bearing the cost of a close relative's wedding. According to Marliyanto, the key to dealing with the Papuan agricultural entrepreneurs was to direct them to the understanding that success in the agricultural sector required earnestness and communal cooperation.

This approach has been applied toward the clearing of land, the initial construction of the agricultural center and the introduction of new crops or livestock. Those who are fast learners are asked to become models or to teach others. "There are many new things that we have learned, like fertilizers and supplements for crops," said Enos Magai, a candidate to become a self-reliant farmer/livestock breeder in SP-12.

Although not all have shown indications of immediate success, most reveal a great desire to become self-reliant farming/livestock entrepreneurs. Some among them have already produced real results, like Yosias Magai.

As with Julius and Enos, Yosias Magai says his life has improved greatly at SP-12 compared to his prior life in the mountains. It has never crossed his mind to return to his homeland or to the mountains. "Nor do I want to work at the Freeport mine, I like this much better," he added. This kind of statement is rarely heard from local people, for many in Mimika strive for jobs in the company.

With real progress achieved by the highland people in their new homes, YJM continues its expansion of this program, such as opening up new land for developing farming and chicken and duck breeding. New plots for hydroponic cultivation as well as for normal farming and for breeding chicken and ducks continue to be cleared. Earlier this year, YJM and the communities received thousands of ducks in assistance from Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

YJM and these communities are aware that at some point they will have to stand on their own without the aid of Freeport. But according to Marliyanto and Edmundua Maturbongs, Freeport staff members who are the day-to-day supervisors at SP-9 and SP-12, no fixed schedule has been set as training is still ongoing. Nevertheless, communication with the communities is maintained on various occasions to clarify that at some point they will have to proceed without any direct assistance from the company. "To be sure this will not be easy, but they are well aware of it," Maturbongs said.

According to Maturbongs, in the near future some will emerge who will be fully self-reliant in that they will be self- employed, although their produce and livestock will still be marketed through the foundation. "It is such people who will motivate others to follow suit."