Prospect of Dry-Land Farming in The Development of West Timor Area

• Main Author: DARMAWA (NIM 25497001), WAYAN
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/9590
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

West Timor has a big challenge in the long-term development of the second phase, because of its less-developed economy and slow developing area. To overcome the problem, based on the policy in the Broad Guideline of State policy of 1998, the economic development will be carried out based on the development of dominant regional factors which will result in the comparative and competitive advantage. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The potential of west Timor agriculture is dominantly dry-land farming, and it has become the alternative main source of the regional economic development. Out of 725,300 ha of area, 58% has been used for agricultural fields, plantation, and pastures. The results ofcultivation has not been optimal which is indicated by the low export rate and the decrease in agricultural contribution in the regional economy. On the other hand, the workforce absorbed reaches as high as 76,65% with the growth rate of 6,95 %, increasing above the average in the sector. Due to the above fact, dry-land farming needs to be developed to be able to play an optimal role in the regional development. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The regional development is determined by its ability to produce export products and import substitutes. Export from the region will encourage : (1) the growth of local multiplier, (2) linkages, (3) the increased integration of the region, and (4) the integration of regions through trading. Import substitutes, on the other hand, reduce the leakages of the source of regional development as the result of import. Therefore, the approach to regional. development with the dry-land farming basis should produce the synergy of endogenous and exogenous aspects which can increase the sources of development. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Due to the above fact, this study is intended to study the prospect of the development of West Timor having dry land farming as the basis which can guarantee the regional development optimally and continuously. The targets of this study are : (i) to identify dry-land farming commodities most likely to be developed, and (ii) to determine specific activities in the regency and joint activities in the West Timor region with its dry-land farming basis. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> To meet the objectives and reach the targets, the following main stages of approach are used:<p>1. the analysis of the ability of production and the extent of the area for various agricultural commodities of the thy-land farming in West Timor. Also the analysis of the most potential commodities in the regional development such as cows, maize, cassava, coconut, and candle nut.<p>2. the determination of the prospect for the main commodities of dry-land farming in the development of West Timor is done by analyzing the supply, the demand, and the linkages. The order of these prospect of commodities is as follows: the prospect of supply, cows, maize, cassava, coconut, and candle nut. The order according to the demand and linkages is the same, which is cows, maize, coconut, candle nut, and cassava.<p>Dry-land farming has not shown significant meaning in the regional development compared with its potential. Therefore, the role of the main commodities need to be increased through the increase of export, added value of products, local multiplier, and its linkages with other economic activities. The importance of this increased role is due to the fact that the main commodities are the source of life for most people so that it gives a great impact on the regional development. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> As an attempt to find the possibilities to increase the main commodities, the following approaches are needed for the regional development : (i) natural resource development by increasing the productivity in the South Central Timor Regency, increasing the productivity and expansion of area in the North Central Timor Regency and Belu Regency, and expansion in Kupang Regency; (ii) increasing internal as well as external accessibility to increase regional export activities; (iii) the development of manufacturing industry of the main commodities by making good use of the Bolok industrial area, and (iv) the development of local entrepreneurship which supports the manufacture of resources efficiently. <br />