Transmigration in Indonesia

Dietrich Kebschull

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781138539846
• eBook ISBN: 9781000680331
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: World History
• Index: History

First published in 1986. The abolition of regional disparities is one of the main targets of Indonesian economic policy. Within the scope of the Indonesian-German Technical Cooperation the East Kalimantan Transmigration Area Development Project (TAD) is intended to contribute to supporting this policy. This study was carried out to support this work - as a first step to gain relevant information. The report is based on interviews with transmigrant families. They were made before transmigration in the so-called 'transitos' in Java and Bali and after transmigration in eight settlements in Riau and East Kalimantan.

PART 1

TRANSMIGRATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF INDONESIAN DEVELOPMENT POLICIES

1.1 Economic and Social Background

1.1.1 Disparities and Dualisms

The analysis of Indonesian transmigration programmes has first to take into consideration the socio-economic background of the country as a whole and of the region which send settlers to the so-called outer islands. In this context the disequilibrium in the regional distribution of the population between Java and the other islands is of paramount importance. Java and the small island of Madura have a share of only 6.9 % in the total area of Indonesia; both islands are inhabited, however, by 61.9 of the population of the country.¹

The population density in this area is already 691 persons/sq.km. This is much higher than the density in often-cited densely or over populated countries. The comparative figures are 104 in P.R. China, 210 in India and 630 in Bangladesh.²

The situation is aggravated by the natural growth of population. The annual average growth rate of about 2.3 in Indonesia as a whole is the main barrier to the development of the country. Even if it were possible to reduce the natural increase to 2 p.a., in the year 2000 more than 1,000 persons/sq.km. would live in Java and Madura (cf. Table 1).

This fact has to be seen against the background of the Indonesian economy which is still dominated by the agricultural sector. Nearly two thirds of the entire labour force are employed here (incl. forestry and fishery), producing more than one quarter of GDP.

Table 1: Estimates of Population Development and Population Density in Java and Madur^a under Different Assumptions (1990-2080)

a Basis: 91,282 mill inhabitants in 1980; area 132,187 sq.km.

Source: Own calculations

In Java, particularly, agriculture is characterized by smallholder farms. Only in East Java there are large scale plantations usual. Due to the good soil conditions up to three harvests per year are possible. The introduction of better seed materials, plant protection and fertilizer has also improved the situation of smallholders. The progress reached so far is, however, not sufficient to safeguard the physical existence of the increasing population in the agricultural areas in the longer run.

This is mainly a consequence of too small farm sizes. The last agricultural census, carried out in 1973, underlines the difficult situation. 88.5 of the Indonesian farmers had less than 2.0 ha at their disposal, 54.1 even less than 0.6 ha (cf. Table 2). The average farm size in Java ran up to 0.7 ha (compared with 1.8 ha in Sumatra and 2.5 ha in Kalimantan).

Table 2: Farm Size and Number of Farm Units in Indonesia

Farm Size (in ha)	Number of Farms
	In 1,000 Units	In % of All Farms	% of Cultivated Area
Less than 0.3	4,105	28.6	5.2
0.3 till less than 0.6	3,666	25.5	11.2
0.6 " " " 2	4,941	34.4	36.5
2 " " " 5	1,353	9.4	26.6
5 " " " 10	224	1.6	10.2
10 " " " 15	47	0.3	3.9
15 and above	37	0.2	6.4
Total	14,373	100.0	100.0

Source: Agric. census 1973

According to preliminary information from the statistical office there is a clear tendency towards a further increase of mini-farms in Java.

In the period since 1971 the per-capita-income has grown with a rate of 5 % per year. But this statistical average does not reflect the weak economic position of the poor. In spite of the overall progress and the diminution of income disparities it is estimated that in Java 47 of the population still live below the poverty line¹ – most of them in rural areas. If the average income (per capita) is fixed at loo, Java reaches only a figure of 75.5 while Sumatra records 166.7 and Kalimantan even 225.9.² During the decade from 1970-80 the annual growth rate (per capita) of Java ran up to 4.6 %, while Kalimantan realized 11.7%.

Poverty affects not only the smallholders, but even more the landless, for which very often permanent job opportunities do not exist. Indonesia has no detailed employment statistics. It can, however, be assumed with a high degree of probability that 15 of...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Preface
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables
• O. Summary
• Part 1 Transmigration within the Framework of Indonesian Development Policies
• Part 2 The Situation Before Transmigration - Reasons and Expectations
• Part 3 The Situation after Transmigration - Success or Failure?
• Annexes I Tasks of Centres and Institutions under the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Transmigration
• Annexes II Personnel of the Ministry of Transmigration (1984/85)
• Annexes III Foreign Assisted Projects in Transmigration (up to Dec 1984)
• Annexes IV Experts and Consultants in Foreign Assisted Transmigration Projects