Natural Farming vs Farmer’s Dependency
Februari 08, 2009
One of undeniable reality was it is real if Indonesian peasants were getting marginalized by their market dependency, weather in the production or distribution of agricultural crops. The policies of countries in order to control the 'dynamic' market often proved can not afford to provide adequate protection, over the agricultural sector and encourage the actors production (in this case, small farmers) are able to be in a strong bargaining position.The phenomenon of the disappear fertilizer in the market when the production season begin then directly impact the high price of fertilizer was a common thing happened. The situation force the peasants to 'serve' the market without even a bit can protect them. Obviously, the productions of peasants are already trapped in a high cost economy with comparative prices at the harvest time, which also does not arrive on the side of their economic.
Those situations did not give a bargain and always put peasants on the vulnerable and uncertain condition. Serious attention and concrete action for this are education and training in natural agriculture or known as natural farming.
Natural farming as once initiated and introduced by Dr. Cho from Korea is common nowadays, but the breath autonomy and 'pro-environment,' that he observed not fully responded by most people. One example, related to the Go-Organic 2010 program of Susilo Bambang, encouraged the program does not have the pretension then fully orient attitude instructive for autonomy in the case of peasant to produce and distribute their products in order to push up the position of its peasant marginalized either economic or political, but the principal thing is not only a desire for more to convert it from the beginning with pesticides feed into organic chemicals. While the pattern of dependence of farmers on artificial fertilizers factory is not changed, it will be able to predict which of the packages can be ascertained that the projects will follow the form of fertilizer-production of organic fertilizer by the certain companies of government agreement for mass supply. At this situation, the position of farmers is not actually changed, that is, still depends on the fertilizer market that also means the game will remain vulnerable and market monopoly.
Natural farming that is not solely related to the elements with erupted burly feed on the ground due to chemicals in the pesticide chemicals that are used for and contribute to the occurrence of global warming and damage to ecosystems, but that must also strategically consumed if this kind of agriculture were assumed as an action to cut chain of peasant dependence on other sectors, industry or factory.
In this regard, the API central cooperation with Region API Bali which consists of two organizations in two different districts, namely Seka Buleleng Tani (STB) and Seka Jembrana Tani (STJ) hold food dialogue and natural farming training.
Events that take place in the village of Sumberkima, Buleleng was held with the enthusiasm of 25 to 29 October 2008. In addition to how much work the various techniques and nutrition formula of materials in the vicinity of the participants have also openly to give each other input of the field during this and they naturally do. Obviously forum was held warm and growing.
After having satisfy with the various theories and give each other feedback, practice sessions and the making of fertilizer nutrients are in progress smoothly. The group consists of men and women households peasants participants with make a special herb under the supervision of the facilitator training, Yasfin a peasant who accompanied the of the Kudus, central Java during this agricultural practice has been successful in practicing natural farming in his place that is a dry land farming.
“From the beginning we should know how to farm like this, "said I Komang Warken, the leader of the Jembrana Peasant Union." In addition we may easily do not need to spend money if fertilizer get more expensive.
As well as Warken, Pak Barnop who became the chief of commitee also looks satisfied with the entire season of training.
"We have plant some formula that has been given a trainer, and we will check later and make further evaluation and planning," he said at the end of the event. And as said, even tough the closure of the training was heavy rain, it still recommend to make demoplot for each Seka peasant and will be the initial phase of experimentation before the end this pattern of agriculture is expected to apply for membership API Bali in particular and generally the peasants in the entire island blessed the gods is (Bali).
