In the Era of Climate Change, How Do Farmers Plant Crops in Sumbawa Regency, Indonesia?

Agriculture is what most farmers in Sumbawa do for a living. This way of life has been passed down from generation to generation, which become part and parcel of their culture.

Agriculture is what most farmers in Sumbawa do for a living. This way of life has been passed down from generation to generation and became part of the culture. To make better development policies, it is important to know how Sumbawa farmers farm. In 2018, the Sumbawa district government put together a list of the 157 villages, 24 sub-districts, and 8 sub-districts that make up the Sumbawa district. With a population density of 76 people per km2 and an area of more than 600,000 km2, 

The population in 2017 was slightly over 500,000. The entire labor force used by the farmers to carry out their farming businesses consist of their family three, these workers involved are fathers, mothers, and children. Farmers rarely use labor from outside the family due to lack of labor force coupled with lack of capital. This is because all farmers have arable land, so they all work in their respective fields. 

Another cause, planting season is also carried out simultaneously by all farmers; this condition is related to the weather in West Nusa Tenggara, which has a longer summer than the rainy season. When the rainy season arrives, all the farmers will work in their own fields, so there is no opportunity to work in other people's fields. Farmers and their families will work quickly so that all food crops can be planted, and when the dry season comes aboard, farmers only need to harvest the produce. 

Sumbawa Regency's economy is still mostly based on agriculture, especially food crop farming, animal husbandry, fishing, and forestry. Therefore, farmers are responsible for farming activities. Public and private land is used for agricultural activities there. Preparing the land, planting (including choosing what to plant), and using plants are the steps in the farming process. For farming to happen, there has to be land available, and farmers have to own land as part of their production. 

https://www.threads.net/@muhammadabdullahiib?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==However, not all farmers in forest areas own land; as a result, some of them work on forested land. Most of the time, farmers plant a mix of annual crops, woody crops, and fruit crops in their fields. In these areas, farmers most often grow rice and beans. Arable land, or privately owned land, is used for farming. The furthest agricultural land from the place of residence can be several kilometers away. Farmers use agroforestry patterns to achieve their economic and environmental goals. This pattern is a type of farming in which one or more seasonal crops are grown. 

Farmers work to meet their daily needs. Also, the weather has an effect on farming. Planting happens during the rainy season, while the only thing that happens during the dry season is preparing the land. Cutting and burning is the traditional method used by farmers to clear land because it is cheaper and easier. After the harvest, the leftover waste is turned into compost and put back on the fields to feed the soil.

Edited by: Muhammad Abdullahi Ibrahim

https://www.threads.net/@muhammadabdullahiib?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==