Becoming a Farmer: Who’s Afraid?

Kompas/Vina Oktavia

Wahyudi, 29, a young farmer in Srikaton village of Adiluwuh district, Pringsewu regency, Lampung, checks on the marrows at his farm on Tuesday (9/1).

Being a farmer is a life choice. In Lampung, young adults have confirmed their choice of life against the glittering industrialization in the surrounding areas.

Under the scorching sun, Wahyu Cahyadi, 24, and Deni Tazwan, 19, worked their farms in Jati Mulyo village of Jati Agung district, South Lampung regency. Last week, they harvested their 20-day lettuce, tying them into large bunches for sale at market.

They were not helping out their parents. They made a conscious decision to focus on agriculture. Wahyu, who had only finished up to junior high school, manages a 400-square-meter land. He is leasing the land from his parents so he can farm independently.

"I’m renting my father\'s land, as I have not been able to buy land myself. I manage the field independently, buying my own seeds and fertilizer," said Wahyu.

Wahyu cultivates several kinds of vegetables on the plot, such as lettuce, Chinese cabbage, pakcoy and red spinach (amaranth).

Wahyu has been focusing on agriculture since May 2017. Initially, he did not believe that cultivating vegetables on small plots of land would produce results. He became convinced after he experienced it for himself with his first harvest six months ago, when he made Rp 2.9 million in cash. He had only spent Rp 100,000 for the seeds and fertilizer.

Since then, Wahyu was determined to continue with farming. Painstakingly, he sowed the seeds for lettuce, Chinese cabbage and pakcoy. After two weeks, he transplanted the seedlings to the field, which had been spread with manure. For the spinach, the seeds were sown directly on the field.

His efforts to grow vegetables has borne sweet fruit. In his five months of farming, Wahyu has saved Rp 19 million for a motorcycle. "I bought a secondhand motorcycle. Although it’s secondhand, the motorcycle is still convenient for driving," he said, smiling.

Deni Tazwan, 19, also learned how to farm on his father\'s land. The vocational school dropout became interested in becoming a farmer after seeing successful farmers of his age. From cultivating vegetables on a 2,000-square-meter land, his father earns an income of Rp 8 million per month. Deni became interested and wanted to manage part of the land on his own.

In Pringsewu regency, Wahyudi, 29, a farmer in Srikaton village, Adiluwih district, has also been empowered through agriculture. By managing a 1-hectare land that he uses to grow corn, chilis and melons, Wahyudi does not need to become a factory worker in order to earn a living, like other young people.

Learning together

The young farmers are grouped in an organization called the Red Arrow Young Farmers, a communication and guidance platform for young farmers that was established under the support of PT East West Seed Indonesia, a private agriculture company.

The organization aims to encourage young people to become farmers amid the problems of farmer regeneration. Based on Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data, the number of farming households declined by 5.1 million in 2003-2013. Of the 26.2 farming households today, about 65 percent are aged over 45 years.

Suhariyanto, a mentor for the Red Arrow Young Farmers, said the group was providing guidance to 110 farmers ranging from 17 to 35 years old. Aside from guidance, motivational factors from parents and other farmers have moved the young people’s spirits toward farming.

One of the farmers who has been diligent in motivating youths to become farmers is Sudardi, 40. The resident of Jati Mulyo village who has been a farmer for 10 years, is aware that he cannot be a farmer forever. There must be younger people who want to become farmers so that food commodity supplies are sustained. Every month, Sudardi gathers young farmers together to learn cultivation techniques.

Kompas/Vina Oktavia

Young farmers Deni Tazwan (left) and Wahyu Cahyadi (right) of Jati Mulyo village in Jati Agung district, South Lampung regency, Lampung, harvest lettuce on Thursday (11/1).

Building networks

Thus far, narrowing lands have frequently been the cause of the farmers’ low incomes. However, young farmers are taught to intensify cultivation by simultaneously planting various kinds of vegetables and fruits through intercropping. For example, chili plants can be planted with shallots, surrounded by melons. Farming on narrow land can even be advantageous, because they are not easily attacked by pests.

Farmers must use superior seeds and be diligent about weeding. They use manure to prevent a dependency on chemical fertilizers, so their production costs are lower. No less important is that they must develop a communication network.

"Farmers should not follow others in cultivating the same types of vegetables. If many are cultivating Chinese cabbage, other farmers are encouraged to grow lettuce or spinach. Therefore, the prices will not fall because of overabundant supply," Sudardi said.

With the proper observance of cultivation techniques and expanding networks, Sudardi convinced the young adults that farming was rewarding.

Currently, their greatest challenge is the widespread development of housing complexes that encroaches paddy fields and farming areas. Farmers are facing the reality that an increasing number of people are deciding to sell their rice fields and farms to housing developers.

This affects the irrigation of agricultural lands, and farmers must be more efficient in using water. In Jati Mulyo, farmers have to make wells by drilling to the depth of 100 meters. During the dry season, it is difficult to obtain water.

Lampung Food Crops and Horticulture Agency head Edi Yanto said business opportunities for agriculture were increasingly open. The demand for food increased in line with population growth. On the other hand, the area available for agricultural lands was shrinking.

It is no wonder that young people are becoming interested in agriculture with its hopes for a better life, even if it means they must toil under the scorching sun.