Modern Agriculture to Prevent Unnecessary Urbanization

This article was first published on Global Indonesian Voices, 6 November 2014. The original version of this article can be reached by clicking this link.


Urbanization, a world phenomenon

The misconception that life is always better in the city still prevails in Indonesia. Big cities, like Jakarta, seem to offer plenty economic opportunities and because of this, people are misled into thinking that every city dweller must have much better living standards than villagers. Strong desire to move up the economic ladder has sent villagers flocking to the urban jungle. However once they arrive in Jakarta, they are confronted with the harsh reality: life is expensive while money are not easy to find and jobs are scarce.

Urbanization is a complex world-wide phenomenon which is particularly rampant in the Third World countries. Addressing this challenge requires formulation of a comprehensive policy involving all sectors. Urbanization is not only the result of unbalanced development, but also a portrait of social insecurity. Furthermore, if left uncontrolled, it may lead to food scarcity because as more and more people leave their farming jobs, the production capacity will be affected as well.

At mid-century, only 17.8 percent of the Third World countries’ population lived in the cities. By 2000, the number has increased to over 40 percent. By 2030, almost 60 percent will live in the cities. The world will become predominately urban in less than two decades.

Urbanization in Third World countries is generally driven by overpopulation in the village which is not accompanied by opening of new agricultural land. Farmers do not have enough land to produce agricultural crops. There is no proper modernization of agriculture in the villages. Farmers still practice traditional method which can only yield low agricultural production.

Modern agriculture is the solution

Villagers will never think of leaving their homeland if agriculture gives them hopes. The government needs to respond with agricultural modernization. Farmers should be the main actors of agriculture. They should be invited to take part in agricultural modernization, a large scale application of modern technology to agriculture so they can switch from their current traditional method.

Agricultural modernization leads to the enhancement of crop production. The increase of agricultural production means there will be increase of the farmer’s income as well. This will make farmers feel more confident in facing their future. The government can make this happen with, for example, utilization of energized well-irrigation and fertilizer distribution.

Agricultural modernization can also be done by introduction of high yielding varieties of seeds for several major crops. The government needs to facilitate farmers so they are able to leave the traditional farming method and move to mechanization. Farmers also need a fair information about commodities market price. They have right to receive climate information to support their farming activities.

A solid and robust agriculture will instill new paradigm among the farmers. They will never think about moving to the city anymore. Farmers will instead continue to pursue wealth and happiness in their own land. In the long term, food security will be established and Indonesia will be less dependent on other countries.

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Agriculture: The Forgotten One

In the modern State of Indonesia, that is quite old, the Indonesian people still covered a wide range of issues. The Indonesia's economic crisis in 1998 is peak impotence of the country's problems. The economic crisis led President Soeharto resigned before his term ended.

The end of Soeharto-era and is not accompanied by the end of the economic crisis. The leadership changes and changes in economic policies cannot help people rise from poverty. Rising prices and falling purchasing power make people choke and forced them to return to the use of wood for cooking and tubers for food. Conditions are not very different with the food shortages in the 1950s, when President Sukarno was in power. This shows that this nation has no significant progress after 55 years.

Indonesia is rich in natural resources with enormous potential of it. On the basis of those considerations, it seems reasonable, if the people proud with Indonesia as an agrarian country. However, it was not accompanied by the desire of the pride wealth to develop and exploit it. This was proved when the agricultural sector is no longer seen as the economic arm of the country. The rulers of this country more temptation to stimulate industrialization and mechanization, which was helpless when the wave of economic crisis.

The agricultural sector has proven to be a sector that remains standing strong when the economic crisis engulfing the nation. Agriculture is not negatively affected from the shock of economic crisis. In fact, when the conglomerates in the capital fell into bankruptcy and debt, some farmers in different regions of increased incomes and improved living standards. The fall of the rupiah against the dollar could increase the selling value of commodities produced by farmers. This makes the agricultural sector still exist and persist.

Agricultural economic system has proven to increase employment. When other companies went bankrupt and dismissed its employees in connection with the economic crisis, the agricultural sector remains strong and simply ogled many to be the place for business. Employment in the agricultural sector is open to all, the experience is different. The agricultural sector can absorb skilled manpower and unskilled. Production processes in the agricultural sector can take place in towns and villages in order to reduce the urbanization, which is now growing. According to the Ministry of agriculture (2002) of the agro-industrial sector can increase employment more than 350,432 peoples.

Agricultural development no longer a priority. Agricultural functions in the economic system of Indonesia has inexistence. Since 1985, the development paradigm has shifted into high-tech industry-driven development. In fact, based industrialization development strategy will trap the nation from dependence on imported raw materials. In other words, the industry is highly vulnerable to the volatility of the rupiah against the dollar advanced and can deplete foreign exchange reserves, so it will not be helpless when faced with economic crisis.

Ironically, once Indonesia is self-sufficient in rice in 1984, it has become one of the largest in the country of the rice importers. Indonesia had made a sale of aircraft production PTDI are compensation with Thailand. Aircraft is exchanged with the rice, an act that should not be done by an agrarian country, such as Indonesia.

The Government in Soeharto-era seems satisfied with the award to the achievements of FAO Rice self-sufficiency in 1984. Direction of development made the leap to sophisticated high-tech industry. The lack of attention to the agricultural sector is the beginning of a calamity to the nation. Farmlands converted into industrial land will give rise to food production declined. The population and the availability increased demand for food in abundance. Rice imports a final exit. (Photo courtesy of UN File/P Sudhakaran).

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Waiting Yudhoyono's Official Respond to 'Bank Century' Case

After long series of investigation held by the parliament over the 'Bank Century' case, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced on Thursday, Feb 25, that he will soon give an official respond to the case. This could be the first Yudhoyono's respond since the case occured on the late 2009. In my own word, Yudhoyono finally 'speak his mind' over this case.

"I will speak on the 'Bank Century' crisis. I plan to address the Indonesian people directly," said Yudhoyono on Plenary Cabinet Session Speech at Presidential Office, Thursday, Feb 25. All the cabinet members are there and hear what the President just explained. This will be a good story for journalist because Yudhoyono somehow never say a word about the 'Bank Century' cases.

Many political analist see the Yudhoyono's involvement on 'Bank Century' cases. Let me simplify, government decided to bail 'Bank Century' out from a sistemic failed bank. It is a reason why the government action for 'Bank Century' then called bail out. Government using 6,7 trillion IDR to bail the bank out.

The cases start to pop-up when analist told that the bail out action was improper. Government bail the bank for wrong reasons. Then, some of the parliamentary members argue that the government action to bail the bank out was a robbery. The money was used as a funding the Yudhoyono's presidential campaign on 2009 election, said unconfirmed source.

Yudhoyono surely want to make it clear. He said, as head of state, he was the most responsible person for everything that happened in the country. So, I think Yudhoyono need a moment to settle the issue, not to shake it. Official respond from Yudhoyono could be the best way to clear his name to the public.

Yudhoyono said he didn't want to be reactive about issues developing every day around the 'Bank Century' case. He didn't want to be dragged into political controversies. "I can't react to these issues every day. If I do, I will be drawn into endless controversy," he said. Well, Mr President, we wait for your speech then.

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Indonesia's Election: A Brief Comparison

As a journalist who write a lot about election in Indonesia, I'm not really interest in observing elections in other contries until my associate describe about election in Afghanistan, a country in the middle of nowhere which I don't have a clue to locate it on the map, maybe somewhere around Pakistan or Kazakhstan.

War and conflict are two things that cross in my mind when I heard about Afghanistan. Amazingly, according to my associate who observed the election directly in the area, this ex-Soviet country run a well-managed elections. My curiousity come to a start. I begin to dig informations about it, then I'm hunger for more.

I'm not satisfied with books I've read about Afghanistan election. So, I'm ended up in Wikipedia. This free-encyclopedia nakedly describe about Afghanistan election. Many things pounding in my head. Unconsciously, I made a comparison with the election in Indonesia, including basic principles, techniques, methodes, etc.

I'm new in reporting election. Started a first step in journalistic activities at Indonesia's General Elections Commission in January 2009. It was not easy at the first week, but many journalist friends are kind and settled things up. I move along, day by day. Then I learned so many things about Indonesian election, something that far with my educational background, animal science.

Long-story shorted. A comparison between Afghanistan dan Indonesian election showed which one more perfect than the other. I'm arrived in a conclusion that we need to learn harder as democratic country. A lot of countries held a better elections than ours, including Afghanistan. The description below will show you why we've to learn how to run election to Afghanistan.

Forty-four candidates registered for the Afghanistan's presidential election, with the Independent Election Commmission of Afghanistan (IEC) announcing its official preliminary list of registered candidates on May 17, 2009. Three candidates withdrew from the race before the election took place, having thrown their support behind one of the top two contenders.

Security concerns prevented Afghan's presidential candidates from campaigning in most of the provinces, and candidates running for provincial councils were under constant threat wherever they went. 12 out of Afghanistan's 34 provinces remained classified as "high risk" by the Afghan Ministry of Interior casting into doubt the ability of over one-third of the country to participate in the elections.

It showed how rush the conflict-atmosphere during election. But, in my perspective, Afghan peoples somehow able to managed conflict in order to prevent harsh effects in the election. In the other words, conflict only happened in the surface of the local politic environment. No records about cheating or manipulating election result. If there was, maybe its not really significant.

While in Indonesia, a-so called-democratic election ruined by catasthropic vote-manipulating. There was no bloody conflict during legislative and presidential election around the islands. It means, the surface was clean, but in the inside there was a dirty agenda which Indonesian election observers couldn't reach. The main actors also remain untouchable.

Indonesia's Constitutional Court mentioned that General Elections Commissions seems unprofessional in doing their tasks. As a matter of fact, the Court ordered the Commission to held vote-recount in several districts as a result of miscounting and lack of documents that contain vote recapitulation summaries.

Constitutional Court ex-judge, Jimly Ashiddieqy, told me on a private conversation, 2009 election is the worst election in Indonesia's history. Even the first election in 1955 is more better than now. But, Jimly still optimist that 2009 election is the last election of the transition era. And the next elections will be far better.

Well, let me simplify, Indonesia need to learn how to be honest in run an election. Politicians must consider the election as a fair game. Election not only about the result, but also the process in it. Afghan peoples have tried the best even when they can't. So why haven't we?

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Pornography bill, in my view

After long series of debates, parliament agreed to make pornography bill become regulation. I read the bill for the first time in May, 2008. Since then, I know that some of the materials will trigger a lot of controversy. Even when the bill become regulation, the controversy will still occur.

Pornography is case sensitive. Everybody has their own definitions. We need to appreciate it. But, I believe that the definitions will be not out of the line. I mean, everybody, in their heart, know exactly what pornography is about. They now clearly the difference between pornography and art.

We don't have to make definition of pornography. It useless and will pounding in our head. Otherwise, we need to build a same perception. So, why everybody never stop talking about the bill? Why the senators keep on debate until their sweat touch the ground? It is for a political reason.

The debates are about the purpose of the bill itself. The supporters of the bill said the law was needed to protect women and children against exploitation and to curb increasing immorality in Indonesian society. While the oppositions said the bill will stifle religious and artistic freedom.

The problems are bigger than that. Like I said before, it's about politic. It's about East and West war of civilization. The supporters of the bill want to stake to East culture and religion. While the others have a wide open mind, they want to accept any kind of liberalization as appear in the West.

I am brave enough to declare that I am a supporter of the bill. But, there are some term and conditions. The appearance of pornography materials is depend on where it perform and who perform it. We don't need the bill if we know how to act and protect ourself and our families from negative effect of pornography.

Now, the bill turn into a regulation. So, we don't need to debate about the ban to use bikinis at resort again.

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Taking somebody else's life

Dear friends, have you ever think about law? Every mankind can do anything in this world, as long as it's not against the law. Every single step that we take was ruled by two laws, God's and ours. In my opinion, law is a symbol of a civilization which formed a difference between uncivilized and civilized people.

We have a rights that attached on our soul since we born in this world, I call it 'human rights'. Right is a moral or legal claim to get something or to behave in particular way. The essential position of law is about it function that can make sure that everybody have their own right.

Law and rights are two things that need each other. I learned a lot about law and right when I started to work as a journalist in Polda Metro Jaya. Write news about crime is my daily routine. In fact, I am still doing it until now. When I write about crime news, I learn how someone can easily broke the law in different ways.

One day, a jobless young man killed by his friend because of a silly heartbreaking reason in East Jakarta. The next day, an innocent baby found death in North Jakarta. You can imagine how people can easily taking somebody else's life. Mankind have no rights to kill each others. God gave us life. So, only God can take our life back. For a Muslim, killing other man is a biggest sin.

Unfortunately, history showed us that mankind always kill each other. Tell me how many wars that happened in this world? The result of war is a death of innocent peoples. Do you remember Crusade War? Last time I heard, Crusade War is the biggest war of all time. It is a war when Richard The Lion Heart and Salahudin Al Ayyubi fighting for Jerusalem. Billions of people were died.

Until now, murder cases always happen in all parts of the world. In fact, it happen every hours. The same thing happen in Indonesia, here in Jakarta. Almost every day I write news about one man kill the others for wrong reason. They not only kill others man, but also cutting the body parts in a way of mutilation. For the first time, I was shocked. It ruined my sense of humanity.

Since I took a duty report in Polda Metro Jaya, I wrote two cases of mutilation. In July 21th, Ferry Idham Henyansyah a.k.a Ryan murdered Heri Santoso, then mutilated the corpse of Heri Santoso in seven parts. Ryan known as a homosexual, now he is waiting for his trial. Three months later, police found 13 body parts in Mayasari Bakti bus. That is the second cases. Police is still hunting for the suspect.

I took a lessons of two mutilation cases. I learned that man no longer respect a law. A social disorder is a chronic disease in every mankind nowadays. Religion no more effective in counter all of the moral problems. The society is sick. You can't sit back and relax while watching this moral disaster happen. Dear friends, please do something!

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