Projects

	Table of Contents
p. -1 of 27 BACK | NEXT Home Frequently Asked Questions Project Background Project Components Project Documents Complaint Handling Mechanism and Anticorruption ETESP and the Environment Articles Multimedia Links Contact Us

Aceh Farmers and Groups Become the Drivers of Their Own Development in Rural Aceh

Jeffry Anwar
NGO Liaison and Community Participation Advisor
Project Management Office of ADB's Extended Mission in Sumatera

An ETESP tractor provided by Food Crops and Agriculture of Simeulue to help farmers better equipped in preparing their farmlands for this planting season (taken by ETESP Agriculture Consultant Team)

In Gampoeng Putuh village Biruen District, 116 farmers have received seeds and agriculture inputs through the Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency Support Project (ETESP) which is financed by ADB through a $291 million grant. With group facilitation by Bina Swadaya, a national NGO engaged under ETESP, the farmers have strengthened their organizational capacity and member participation. As a result, 45 farmers from three neighborhood villages have joined the group. The members of the group have pooled 41 hectares of paddy fields to improve the production of this year's paddy rice crop. The group now plans to start breeding fresh water fish to diversify their sources of income. The village leader of Gampung Putih, Bachtiar Ali, said "We now have a strong farmers group in our village. If local government or other concerned agencies would like to implement their programs, there is no need to form a new group, we already have one. This will avoid confusion in our community." Mr. Bachtiar is right, consolidation of farmers groups helps build a more solid base for implementation of integrated agriculture livelihoods programs. The Secretary of the office of the Bupati in Lhoksemauwe, Mr. Nasrullah agrees: "a participatory group approach improves the effectiveness of government support as demonstrated under the integrated approach of ETESP agriculture sector."

ADB ETESP Agriculture support of agro inputs help farmers in Lhoknga of Aceh Besar District in reviving their rice paddy as seen women are the key for successful agriculture development. ADB ETESP has empowered women to become the decision makers in their own farmland (taken by ETESP Agriculture Consultant Team)

On 10 February 2007 Pieter Smidt, the Head of ADB's Extended Mission in Sumatera (EMS) visited another example of community-lead economic development from Pande Village in Aceh Utara District. "Our farmers group is ready to work together to boost agriculture development in our village" said Abu Bakar the Leader of Makmu Besari Farmers Group. The 265 farmers received support in 2006 of seeds and agricultural training through ETESP. "The inputs needed were agreed among the group members and the families" Abu Bakar told us. Along with the ETESP agricultural inputs support, this farmers group also received two hand tractors. The two tractors are managed by the group. A member pays a fee of Rp. 6,500 per square meter ploughed and prepared for paddy cultivation. From the fee, 75% goes to the group account and 25% goes to the tractor operator. After one year of managing the tractors, the group has accumulated a total capital of Rp. 3 million. The group is now developing a business plan to be managed through a village cooperative and is actively seeking access to obtain a micro-finance loan to fast tract their emerging community economy.

ADB-ETESP Agriculture Consultant Gender team conducted an action research in Simuelue to better understand roles of women in commercial tree crops development program of local government program (taken by ETESP Agriculture Consultant Team)

Bina Swadaya has been engaged under ETESP to facilitate participation of rural communities in rehabilitating their agriculture, fisheries and irrigation to revive livelihoods and rural economies in Aceh and Nias. In 2006-2007, Bina Swadaya has worked in more than 1,000 villages in 12 subdistricts with 1,000 locally recruited Village Mobilization Facilitators (VMFs). The VMFs assist farmers groups, fisherfolk groups, and water users associations to strengthen their village organizations by connecting to the resources they need, and are supported and supervised by some 30 community mobilization specialists. "We were elected by the villagers. Bina Swadaya trained us in group building and leadership" said Abdul Hanan, VMF of Meunasah Hagu Village, Aceh Utara District. ETESP's livelihood programs aim to empower communities to develop sustainable livelihood systems through product clusters that are connected to both market buyers and the relevant support services.

With the support of ETESP, local farmers are now better placed to participate in the planning and implementation of post-tsunami reconstruction programs. Local governments and government agencies have started to appreciate the value of empowered communities as a vehicle for improving rural livelihoods and economic development. Indeed, Aceh farmers and groups are starting to become the drivers of their own development in rural Aceh.