Efforts in adjusting the farming culture of Dayak Community in facing the prohibition of land burning (A case study in the dayack community in Katingan Region)

Abstract

Smoke caused by land burning every dry season creates transportation and health problems. Air pollution in Central Kalimantan in October 2015 came to a level of 2000 km with 20 m range of sight, and fire was found in 314 places. Some neighboring countries also complained about the smoke. Currently, government has firmly prohibited the activities of land burning by the big or foreign companies as well as those done by the community. This prohibition has influenced the Dayak community in Central Kalimantan as well, those whose farming culture are shifting cultivation and agro-forestry system, which are done by burning the land. The Dayak Community actually has good economy. Besides good farming field, they have rubber and rattan fields as well. if the prices of rubber and rattan drop together with land burning, the Dayak’s economic situation is disturbed. Because of this, people in the Region of Katingan are still looking for alternatives for their farming activities, for example: cultivating cassava and corns. People are encouraged to follow the program of cultivating cassava and work together with investors. The cassava cultivation can be more suitable because it has something in common with the farming culture of the dayak people. The problem is that the partner company demands for certain quality. The Dayak people, who are used to farm in an easy way, will have difficulties to adapt to farming cassava in modern way. They are not used to digging the land, and regularly applying fertilizer and drugs. Training program, as well as its control, is needed. The farming culture which used to be eased by nature must be changed to the modern way of farming. This change needs continuous guide and development by the government.