Analysis of farmer’s perceptions and strategies in smallholder timber plantation business (case studies of smallholder timber plantations at Gunungkidul District, Special Province of Yogyakarta and Tanah Laut District, Province of South Kalimantan)

Abstract

Smallholder timber plantations play strategic roles in forestry development in Indonesia, particularly on improving farmers’ livelihood at rural areas, supplying wood materials for forest industries and supporting forest rehabilitation program. The potential for developing smallholder timber plantations in Indonesia is huge, given the vast areas of critical land in Indonesia as well as high demand for wood. The facts however showed that the development of smallholder timber plantations in Indonesia only concentrates in Java. This dissertation aims to identify alternatives on policy intervention to support the development of smallholder timber plantations in Indonesia through better understanding on farmer’s perceptions and strategies on timber plantation practices. The study was conducted through case studies of smallholder timber plantations at Gunungkidul district, the province of Yogyakarta and Tanah Laut district, the province of South Kalimantan. Data was collected through household surveys, interviews with key informants, focus group discussions, inventory of smallholder timber plantation plots, and by collecting secondary publication materials at the two case study sites. The results showed that timber plantations play major roles as household saving accounts and as farmers’ safety net. Farmer’s investment of timber plantations management depends on the relative benefits of timber plantations as compared to other farming options. Access to markets and timber selling price are the main driving factors for farmers to invest more on their timber plantations. The availability of land area ownership and production-input capital are also important factors. Governments need to develop policies that strengthen farmers' access to timber markets, such as through institutional strengthening of farmer groups on timber marketing collective action, developing micro credit facilities for farmers and simplifying timber transport document regulations. Governments are also advised to strengthen farmers’ capacity on timber value-added activities and building business partnership with timber industries.

Tanaman kayu rakyat memiliki peran yang sangat strategis dalam pembangunan kehutanan di Indonesia, khususnya dalam upaya peningkatan kesejahteraan masyarakat petani di pedesaan, penyediaan bahan baku kayu bagi industri kehutanan dan rehabilitasi sumber daya hutan. Potensi pengembangan tanaman kayu rakyat di Indonesia sangat besar mengingat luasnya areal lahan kritis di Indonesia serta tingginya permintaan terhadap bahan baku kayu. Namun demikian, fakta sejauh ini menunjukkan bahwa pengembangan tanaman kayu rakyat di Indonesia lebih terkonsentrasi di Pulau Jawa. Diperlukan intervensi kebijakan yang lebih baik agar pertumbuhan tanaman kayu rakyat di Indonesia dapat lebih ditingkatkan. Disertasi ini bertujuan untuk memahami persepsi dan strategi petani di dalam usaha tanaman kayu rakyat. Pemahaman tersebut penting untuk mengidentifikasi pilihan-pilihan intervensi kebijakan yang lebih sesuai dengan kondisi petani, sehingga lebih efektif dalam memotivasi petani untuk menanamkan investasi di dalam usaha tanaman kayu rakyat. Pendekatan analisa dan pengembangan kelembagaan digunakan di dalam disertasi ini untuk memahami proses pengambilan keputusan yang dilakukan oleh petani sebagai aktor utama di dalam sistem usaha tanaman kayu rakyat.