Farmer's Life

About 20 years ago Pak Cipto came to this place as a tranmigrant from Java . Life was tough but conditions have improved lately and look much brighter for the near future. He is the Head of the Kelompok Tani named Sukamakmur, a farmer's group of 30 farmers. He owns a simple hand-tractor and a light motor cycle. They have two children and two grandchildren.

Pak Cipto, his wife and the grandchild together with the oldest son and his wife. The oldest son is also farmer, his name is Santoso. (See below in the table)

Pak Cipto and his wife together with the youngest son with his wife and daughter. The baby is the third grandchild of Pak Cipto ( a grand daughter) and the second child of his oldest son.

Pak Cipto has still a very simple house. But everywhere around in his house you see signs he wants to improve his house. He wants to build a stone-brick house. The foundation is already completed, but he waits till he has enough money to finish the construction of the new house. His house has electricity only in the evening until early morning. The pump you see is a gift from the Government to his Farmer's Group

Eating is on the floor. Guests sleep also on the floor. There is no hazard of malaria. In the evening they can watch the (black&White)TV, or listen or view the CD-player. Usually there are neighbours also just for talking. His wife will present delicious snacks. She will mostly not join the talkings, but will join for watching TV when most guests are gone.

All extremely simple, but there is a mirror. In the back you see the tiles he bought already for his new house. Stored in the kitchen room.

The open fire where everything is cooked on firewood. All very simple. Water is available from the rain storage container. All drinking water is boiled.

The fish pond near his house has two functions. The fish is mainly used for family consumption. Pak Cipto does not see yet a market for his fish. Too far from the market , may be in the future when the bridge is made for direct connection with Palembang city by road. The other function of the fish pond is for bathing purposes. The water is clean enough for bathing in my opinion. Pak Cipto says he wants to build a bathroom near his pond in the near future, using its water.

After threshing the rice is dried in the sun. But when rainfall is expected the husked rice has to be stored again and protected with sheets against the rain. A lot of work for the women in this period.

When the box-drier will be introduced, women will certainly benefit most. The box-drier is also much more effective in drying the husked rice and to make it ready for de-husking the rice.

The husked rice can be much better dried with the box-drier. Local entrepeneurs more and more start to make themselves. Only the the burner/blower has to be bought.

The previous pictures were taken in April 2003. This picture is taken in June 2003. The new house is 130 m2 in size and the total costs for Pak Cipto of the house construction are Euro 6,500 including labour costs and materials.

The first picture of the house was made in 2003. The second during the start of the house building in June 2003, while the house is almost completed in 2005. (Two bedrooms still need a tile floor, while the kitchen and the bathroom/toilet needs an upgrade. (Next year?)

Since a month (April 2006) his oldest son bought a second hand pick-up (Daihatsu)with strong powers for the bad condition roads in the area. Price Euro 6,000.

Pak Cipto and his wife

Kelompok Tani (farmers Group) with name: Suka Mamur with location of fields of farmers in TC 2, TC 3 and TC 4. Further it gives the yields of the first crop in March 2003 expressed in tons field-dry husked rice/hectare The lower yields between TC 2 and TC 3 are related to wet fields with high contents of organic matter. Each field is about 1 Ha in size.