Socio-economic characteristics of Salak Farmers
In the wake of economic crisis, rural communities have increasingly turned to rice farming for their economic prosperity. Rice cultivation and its accompanying economy to provide jobs to many rural residents across the country. Furthermore, in return for rice production, farmers receive substantial payments as their staple food. There are two types of rice farming in Indonesia: wet and dry. Wet farming relies on flood irrigation systems to bring water to the fields, while dry rice farming relies on rainwater drainage systems.
For decades, the Salak people have farmed and fished for a living and survival. They relied on natural resources like fish and rivers for their nutrition and livelihood. However, in the last century, the steady growth of rice production and commercial rice trading has changed the dynamics of Salak rice farming. This transformation has had profound implications for the Salak and surrounding people.
As a majority of Salak rice farmers rely on small-scale irrigation systems, they struggle to meet modern agricultural needs and demands. Access to affordable water is a major challenge for rural communities. The lack of proper infrastructure and drainage problems have hindered rural development in the past. Today, Salak farmers still face significant challenges in meeting rising demands from food and commodity markets. These challenges have limited the scope of opportunities for Salak villagers to cultivate and fish their customary rice products.
The agricultural production of Salak rice products has been largely dependent on hydro-electric dams and military bases in the past. The hydro-electric dams in particular, have displaced large numbers of Salak and non-Salgudan farmers. The military bases have built up a substantial reserve of infrastructure that includes roads, buildings, infrastructure, and housing. Consequently, there is a pressing need for more accommodation for these civilians. An ample supply of basic amenities, such as schools, clinics, and other amenities must be made available to them. This has further restricted the amount of land that can be used for rice production and encouraged the expansion of industries instead of helping rural communities adapt to a traditional rice-based economy.
Many rural Salak inhabitants blame the government and subsidies for the poor economic conditions in rural areas. They argue that this has forced many Salak farmers to engage in zero-sum trading that has resulted in a consolidation of wealth among a small group of rural dwellers. They say that they have been left with only two options – either to continue cultivating rice that is not worth selling or moving into the cities to find work. Most of the rice farmers have moved to the cities.
A close examination of the Socio-economic characteristics of Salak rice farmers shows that Salak people are highly educated rural people who are deeply immersed in the culture of rural life. They are well integrated into the local communities, and they are involved in the social and economic life of their community. However, they are also aware that the life of a rural resident is significantly different from that of an urban resident. They live in a completely different milieu. Although Salak people are very concerned about their welfare, it appears that they consider the problems of the urbanites as their own. Despite their deep commitment to rural development, they seem to be unable to elevate the poor status of the urban population to the level of what their rural counterparts are experiencing.
Socio-economic conditions in rural areas are quite different from those of the urban centers. The situation of rural residents in Morocco is quite severe as compared to the ones in urban areas. Some years ago, the Moroccan government announced a five year plan that will help increase the number of educational institutions that are accessible to the rural residents. However, there are still limited access to quality education for the rural residents. literacy rate is low, and the percentage of rural residents that can read and write is also low. Even though the situation is such, there are many Salak farmers who still want to experience the fruits of their hard-earned labor, and they still hope that through the efforts of the Moroccan government and by developing better rural areas; they can improve the conditions of the rural population.
Socio-economic Although Morocco has made some efforts to improve its poor condition, there are still many areas in which the poor farmers still suffer. Education is very important to increase the standard of living for the Salak people, but many areas are still deprived of basic quality education. In order to improve the situation of the rural poor, an inclusive and coordinated rural development program is needed that provides them with quality education, affordable housing and jobs. The government should support the policy of rural development and use its leverage to ensure that the policies have a meaningful impact on improving the rural poor’s lives.