Socio-economic conditions of transmigrants in Bulungan regency, North Kalimantan Province

Abstract

This research was conducted to determine the socio-economic conditions of transmigrants placed in the Salimbatu Placement Transmigrant (LPT), Tanjung Buka, and Selimau. The study was conducted using a sample survey and collection methods as well as analyzing secondary data. The sample survey was carried out on 10% of the total number of transmigrant households in the study area. Determination of the sample is done in stages, first determining the sample area of three LPTs at random, secondly setting a sample of transmigrant household heads. The results showed that the transmigrants placed in the study area were not fully prosperous as expected. The indications are: (1) their agricultural production is low, on average only around 216 kg of rice / head of household / year, far below 320 kg of rice / head of family / year according to the poverty line of Sayogyo [1], (2) the income of transmigrants classified as “moderate” when compared with the minimum wage in force in the district of Bulungan in 2015, (3) the reduction in the area of their arable land from the original 1.5 ha / head of household obtained from the government, became only an average of 1, 2 ha / head of family; and (4) the frequency of planting and harvesting rice on average only once a year. The above conditions are mainly caused by: (1) the low fertility status of their agricultural land; (2) irrigation of rice fields which only depends on the tides of river or swamp water; (3) the number of plant pests (wild boar, rats and birds); and (4) still limited or difficult access to and from their territory. The transmigrants try to overcome these obstacles or obstacles in a number of ways: (1) looking for part-time work, and (2) adapting to natural conditions, both culturally (by changing habits in the area of origin) and ecologically. However, not all obstacles can be overcome and not all transmigrants have succeeded in overcoming the obstacles. Thus assistance is needed to help transmigrants improve their welfare, so that the main objective of the transmigration program, namely reducing poverty and improving people’s welfare can be achieved. The assistance needed includes: (1) building a swamp water system, so that trasmigrants can work on rice fields and grow rice throughout the year (for the long term), or provide water pumping machines to irrigate their fields from rivers, due to rivers in the area studies never dry throughout the year; (2) subsidizing the price of fertilizers and anti-pest medicines; (3) building a road network that connects all Transmigrant Settlement Locations in the transmigration area (for the long term), or for short-term assistance in providing water transportation facilities (motorized boats) to the transmigrant group.