7. INDONESIA
Title of the Project
Improving Agricultural Practices in Peat Soil in West Kalimantan.

Summary
Poor farmers living in District of Pontianak, Province of West Kalimantan draw their main income from corn, rice and ginger growing. However, in addition to face challenges in the marketing of their harvest, they also have to face recurrent problems at production level. Two main reasons have been identified to explain that situation:

• The farmers farm in peat soil, which have a high level of acidity (pH), a low level fertility, as well as subside through the time.
• The use of chemical fertilizer is suboptimal due to farmer’s limited financial capacities. In addition, most of chemical fertilizers do not stay in peat soil, since they are usually washed away by the rain.
The project aims to help 250 farmers living in District of Pontianak, Province of West Kalimantan, to improve their farming activities, by:
• Promoting the constructions of low-cost drainage systems, which allow, in combination with ashes, to reduce peat soil level of acidity and the subsidence.
• Promoting the production at community level and the use of ashes, organic fertilizers and organic pesticides. Ashes, in combination with drainage systems, will control land pH. Organic fertilizers and pesticides will be use as a substitute and a complement to chemical fertilizers and pesticides (mixed approach), in order to improve peat soil fertility and reduce the occurrence of pests and disease. The production of those inputs will be done community level, which will limit farmers’ expenses.

Key Activities

1.1. Organizing a workshop with most influential persons of each community and other stakeholders in order to introduce and gain their support to the project.
1.2. Promoting and motivating the farmers to construct low-cost drainage systems through the socialization of the project with the farmers.
1.3. Collecting base-line data on land subsidence, land acidity and land yield.7
1.4. Training the farmers (per RT) on the construction and the use and maintenance low-cost drainage systems.8
1.5. Training the farming (per RT) on the sustainable production and use of ashes, as an agent to reduce peat soil acidity.
1.6. Implementing try-outs in the field and building information boards explaining the technique to build low-cost drainage systems and produce ashes in a hut.9
1.7. Monitoring the construction of low-cost drainage systems and ashes production.
1.8. Evaluating the impact of drainage systems and ashes productions on land acidity, land subsidence and farming yield.

2.1. Surveying the current practices in production of organic fertilizers and organic herbicides in each community.
2.2. Collecting information on the inputs available, in each community, for the production of organic fertilizers and organic herbicides.
2.3. Training the farmers (per RT) on the production of organic fertilizers and organic herbicides and their use.
2.4. Linking the farmers with providers of inputs necessary for the production of organic fertilizers (example: chicken farms) and organic herbicides.
2.5. Supporting the production through fields tried-out, information boards and distribution of T-Shirt promoting and explaining the technique of fabrication of
organic fertilizers and organic herbicides.
2.6. Training farmers (per RT) on the use of financially affordable techniques for monitoring characteristics of the soil (pH, Humidity, Structure of the land, Texture
of the land).
2.7. Promoting the production of alternative commodities that are adapted to grow in peat soil and have a good market potential in West Kalimantan.
2.8. Monitoring the production of organic fertilizers and pesticides.
2.9. Evaluating the impact of organic fertilizers on farming yield.

Contact Info

Marcell D Lodo, Director
Jl. Husein Hamzah No. 90
Pontianak 78115
West Kalimantan, Indonesia
Telephone: 0561-772411/775262
Fax: 0561-772411
E-mail: mdl_lodo@yahoo.com