If young people are asked
about the career, how many people wants to be farmers? Perhaps, to be a farmer
is not an obsession for young people, even though Indonesia besides maritime,
has fertile agricultural areas for food crops and horticulture. There are some
reasons related to the reluctance to be a farmer, for example, parents are not
proud enough if their children become
farmers, the stigma of farmer life tends to be poor, not prospective for
profit, and even it is considered not prestigious because of working with
animal dung, soil and mud.
Formerly, I have paradigm
that agriculture is not prospective, because it is our daily activity of people
of Sumba, so farming is not something special and prospective in the midst of
instant and modern era like today. But my paradigm has changed since I joined
Stube-HEMAT Sumba training on topics related with Lives of Sumba Youth.
Especially in September 2019, I had an opportunity to be one participant of
Exposure Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta program and I learned various things that added
knowledge and experience there, such as journalism, photography, cross-stitch
and agriculture. Learning about agricultural potencies opened my eyes to
optimize idle land and found high market
demand for vegetables.
Having returned to Sumba,
as a community leader, I was responsible to share inspirative ideas and experiences from Stube HEMAT for the members
of Ana Tana community. Based on data from Statistic Bureau (BPS) of East Sumba
Regency in 2019, in terms of the frequency of planting food crops in Pandawai
sub-district, there are 1.208 hectares land consisting of 941 hectares can be planted
rice once per year, 112 hectares can be planted
rice twice per year and 75 hectares can be planted others. In addition, there
are 80 hectares of paddy fields are left idle. The last condition of rice
fields become an opportunity for young people to cultivate vegetables to
fulfill household needs and supply the market demand.
Finally, the community
formed a small farming group consist of children and youth 7-14 years named Ana
Tana Junior's farm which has 10 members. In the beginning of January 2020 we
started to work on one idle land behind my house in Kawangu, East Sumba as
agriculture land and grow various vegetables that the seeds I got from
Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta, such as mustard greens, kale, chilies, long beans,
spinach, tomatoes, eggplants, corn and cassava. We faced problems when started
the project, such as plant pests, unpredicted weather and parents' doubts about
us. But these all did not down our enthusiasm, even more spiritful to learn how
to make natural insectisides with Martinus Ndapangadung, an agricultural
consultant who accompany us to plant organically using manure and leaf
fertilizer.
At present, we have
harvested vegetables, beside fulfilling our daily needs, we also sell the
vegetables to market and vegetable stalls. The profits sale of vegetables are
distributed equally to support the school needs of the community member.
Working in this activity we have our principle of success from our commitment, saying
“if not doing right now, no other opportunity come” and “if not us, no other else”. So, young people, never wait until growing older
then becoming farmers. If you can start from now, why not? Be a successful young
farmer by utilizing technological developments to increase knowledge about land
management, crops cultivation and products marketing for the sake to improve
lives of Sumba people. (Kristiani Pedi).
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