Empowering Farmers, Conserving Peatland

KOMPAS/EMANUEL EDI SAPUTRA

Farmers from 16 villages in West Kalimantan attend a training session on how to clear peatland without burning on Thursday (29/3/2018), organized by the Peatland Restoration Agency.

Clearing land without burning seems a difficult thing to do. This technique has been campaigned for years and it is now known among farmers, who respect the method.

Haze is a frequent problem during the dry season. The cause is individuals who burn the peatland. Once the peatland is set alight, the fire becomes difficult to contain. That is why managing peatland is necessary, such as by educating farmers on how to clear plantation lands without burning.

Thirty-two farmers from 16 villages in West Kalimantan gathered on Thursday (29/3/2018) in a 1.5-hectare area in Kuala Dua village, Kubu Raya regency. The space is designated for farmers who are taking part in a training school that was organized by the Peatland Restoration Agency (BRG).

The farmers were divided into several groups, with each group assigned its own activity. These include clearing land without burning and preparing the farmland using a cultivator. In another place, a group learned how to produce compost.

Mentors with experience in cultivating peatland without burning accompany the groups. The training teaches farmers to clear the land and make them productive at an affordable cost.

“The farmers thought that clearing the land without burning is expensive. In fact, it is not. The farmers did not know the technique. The cost of clearing land is around Rp 2 million per hectare,” said Joko Wiriyanto, a facilitator at Sekolah Lapang Petani, the training school for farmers.

Joko has proven this on his farm. He can even grow grapefruit on the peatland. With his capability in managing peatland without burning and making it fertile land, he has been entrusted to share his experiences with fellow farmers.

“Until now, we thought that clearing peatland without burning cost too much. However, after attending the training, we gained knowledge about the technique to clear peatland without burning,” said Murakip, a farmer from Mempawah regency.

Supriyati, another farmer in Kubu Raya, concurred. He acknowledged that he had found difficulties in managing peatland without burning because of high costs. Initially, Supriyati estimated clearing the land without burning would require tens of million of rupiah, because farmers would need chemicals to accelerate the decay of waste. A long time would be needed before the land could be planted.

The difficult process of clearing land without burning made farmers hesitant to grow crops and, instead, they switched to cultivating oil palm. Planting oil palms on peatland was easier than planting food crops.

Peatland Restoration Agency education head Deasy Efnidawesty said Sekolah Lapang Petani was part of the agency’s education program. The activity ran from Monday (26/3/2018) through Sunday (1/4/2018).

Around 30 percent of the activity was theory and 70 percent was practical, and took place in the fields. Before practicing the methods, the farmers were taught about peatland. During the training, the farmers learned from their mentors about managing peatland, clearing land without burning and producing compost.

“Peatland requires special treatment. Yet, only part of the community understands how to manage peatland correctly. Many people dry out the peatland, making them prone to fires. In fact, peatland needs special approach,” said Deasy.

Becoming drivers

After attending classes for one week, the farmers were tasked with creating a pilot project in their respective areas. The facilitators will accompany them, and their activities will be assessed. The outcome will be submitted to the Peatland Restoration Agency. Those who pass will be designated as peatland ambassadors.

They will also serve as a driver in their respective area. The agency cannot educate all farmers in the peatland area, so the farmers who have attended the training will become a source of information for people in the surrounding area.

West Kalimantan BRG facilitator Hermawansyah said the farmers’ training school was a solution to peatland management. Through the school, people would understand that peatland could become fertile land without burning.

“The module being prepared is comprehensive, starting from clearing land without burning through producing compost as fertilizer. It also discusses how to manage crops after the harvest. The key is how to empower the farmers and preserve the peatland,” he said.

Now, the dry season has arrived. We hope the knowledge is shared among all farmers so that haze will no longer affect the lives of the people.