New forestry-linked resettlement program planned

JAKARTA (JP): The government plans to launch a new resettlement program in which four acres of forest land will be parceled out to participants.

Minister of Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo disclosed yesterday that the plan, which will begin next year, will send transmigrants into forestry areas that have been neglected by concessionaires.

Each family of settlers will be given four hectares of forest land on which they will replant trees and from where they will derive their livelihood eventually by selling the timber, Siswono told reporters after reporting to President Soeharto at the Merdeka Palace.

One site could contain as much as 10,000 hectares of forest which mean it could accommodate up to 2,500 people, he said, pointing out that the program follows the way Japan manages its forest, by parceling it out to smallholders.

This is a new addition to the various transmigration programs run by the government. Earlier programs were linked to plantation estates, fishery estates and forestry estates. The difference between the new program and the forestry estate program is that the settlers get to own the forest land in the case of the former, while in the case of forestry estate program the settlers are simply employed by a timber company.

If each plot is planted by trees 14 meters apart, that means each family of settlers could plant 196 trees on their four hectare plot. If each hectare could produce 100 cubic meters of wood each year, then each family could earn Rp 4 million each year. In addition, the family could also plant cash crops in between the trees to generate additional income.

Each location of 10,000 hectares will be able to produce one million cubic meters of wood each year. This means that if the program works well, Indonesia will not need to give out concessionaires to big timber companies anymore. In the future these transmigrants should be able to supply Indonesia's needs of around 37 million cubic meters of wood.

He allayed the concerns of environmentalists by stressing that the transmigrants will be allocated only forest land and grass land neglected by previous concessionaires. "The program will enrich the forest, rehabilitating forest land to its former state."

Each location will be managed by a forestry company which would provide settlers with managerial assistance. A timber company will buy the wood from the settlers.

The government has already designated four areas to launch the new transmigration program. They are in Perleuih in Aceh which will be managed by PT Richardson Siberida, in Riau managed by PT Siberida Wana Sejahtera and PT Sebuntai, in East Kalimantan managed by PT Kumahdi and Mandai in West Kalimantan managed by PT Lahan Mahkota.

Siswono said that given that it would take 16 years to turn grass land into a forest, the settlers would be given an additional two hectares of land on which they would plant cash crops for their livelihood before the forest generates an income.

The minister also reported that the government is finding it more and more difficult to find fertile land to clear for transmigration purposes. Most of the fertile land is already in use.

The government hopes to draw in private companies to join in the endeavor, allowing them to develop large scale plantations and then parcel them out to settlers who will cultivate the area.

The government is also working on credit schemes for settlers to pay their way into owning the area eventually, he added.

Siswono yesterday also reported to the President about the move to resettle 6,662 families to make way for a huge reservoir in Jati Gede in West Java.

He said so far 3,665 families have accepted the government offer to resettle while the rest are still holding out.

He emphasized that the reservoir is badly needed in the area which constantly suffers a lack of water during the dry season and flooding during the rainy season. (emb)