SEPASI Farmers Build People's Economic Sovereignty

Since 2004, farmers from the Indonesian Prosperous Farmers Union (SEPASI) have occupied and utilized the former Right to Cultivate (HGU) land of PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) III Kebun Bangun I as residential and agricultural land. The cultivated land covers 125,9 hectares. This land status was reinforced by a letter from the Acting Mayor of Siantar from 2003 to 2004, Kurnia Rajasyah Saragih, who recommended that the HGU of PTPN III not be extended. However, the situation changed after the transfer of power and development policies in Siantar City. Beginning in 2010, the Siantar City Government (Pemkot) built a ring road (ring road) outside the city that passes through the agricultural areas of SEPASI members. At that time, SEPASI did not object to the development because it felt it was important. Then in 2019, through the National Strategic Project (PSN), the Siantar-Parapat Toll Road was built, and once again the project passed through SEPASI agricultural land. This situation prompted PTPN III to re-examine the land already used by farmers and began installing signs and prohibiting the community from cultivating the land again. Ultimately, in 2022, security forces were deployed to evict SEPASI farmers from the land. Clashes were inevitable, and the community suffered significant losses, with the destruction of residential buildings, crops, and the loss of economic income.

After years of fighting to defend their land from the threat of structured land grabbing, the SEPASI management felt it was crucial to improve the economic well-being of its members through non-agricultural activities. With the ongoing conflict, they found it difficult to continue working in the rice fields. Through a joint decision, they agreed to create alternative income streams. These included goat farming and ulos cloth production. Meanwhile, to meet family needs, the members utilized their yards to grow horticultural crops, namely onions. To support this joint venture, they established a creative production cooperative and sold members' products to the local market.

From goat farming, the SEPASI initiative holds an economic potential of 96 million rupiah per year. This calculation is based on the number of goat kids produced from the mother goat per year. The price used is valid in the local market. Meanwhile, the ulos cloth production business holds an economic potential of 12 million to 18 million rupiah per year, with an estimate of 10-15 ulos cloths that can be produced in a month. The local market price is set at 100 rupiah. So the total economic potential of the SEPASI initiative ranges from 108 million to 114 million rupiah per year. Regarding the social aspect, this initiative impacts 2.583 people: 967 men, 971 women, and 645 young people.