From a Meeting in the Rice Fields, Agriculture Minister Gives Farm Workers a Combine Harvester

A meeting in the middle of a rice field in Karawang ended with a combine harvester for workers who do not own farmland. Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said the machine should help them earn more than their irregular harvest wages.

Amran met workers in Tegal Sawah village, East Karawang, on August 31, after seeing several of them working in the fields. He said they told him they earned only Rp30,000 a day from cutting grass, and found work two or three times a week at most.

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I found farm workers cutting grass in the middle of the road. How much do they earn? Only Rp30,000 a day, and that is two or three times a week, three times a week at most.

The minister said landless workers had struggled to obtain government machinery because aid generally went to farmer groups with land. The Agriculture Ministry has changed its regulations so workers without fields can become priority recipients of agricultural equipment, including pumps, harvesting tools, two-wheel tractors and four-wheel tractors.

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Farm workers may receive tractors, they may receive combines.

Under the new system, field agricultural extension officers must identify workers who do not yet belong to a group. After verification, the groups can apply online to the central government without first owning land. “Farm workers may receive tractors, they may receive combines,” Amran said.

The combine harvester given in Karawang will be managed jointly. Amran asked the group to rent it to nearby farmers, creating a revenue stream for its members. He said one machine could work about five hectares a day. If harvesting services generated Rp10 million, Rp3 million could cover fuel and operating costs, leaving Rp7 million to divide among 10 members. “Share the proceeds, divide them equally. Everyone takes part. Do not leave anyone behind,” he said.

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Share the proceeds, divide them equally. Everyone takes part. Do not leave anyone behind.