COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN: RURAL LIVESTOCK, AGRICULTURE AND LIVELIHOOD IN INDONESIA

This study aimed to determine the bio-physical and socio-economic characteristics of the community, to determine the problems encountered by the community with emphasis on livestock, agriculture and livelihood and to recommend appropriate plans of action in addressing these problems. Field observation and interviews with key informants were conducted. The data gathered served as basis in the preparation of a Community Development Plan for Lopati Village, Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia, which was the ultimate goal of the activity. In addition, this data provided guidelines in plan implementation as well as serving as a basis for determining the different changes or accomplishments to be made. Eight key informants were involved in the interview. The results showed that there are many problems faced by the community, including low income, lack of capital and credit sources, low prices of products and business management. Several plans of action that were made and proposed included strengthening of the existing farmers’ multipurpose cooperative, conversion of the farmers and women’s association into a cooperative, introduction and implementation of swine dispersal project, intensification of cattle, goat and duck raising, home industries, introduction of purely self-help projects, training workshops for farmers, youth and women, competitive farm gate prices for the community’s products, payment of previous loans, encouragement/reactivation of other banks to participate in a credit program, and general assembly meeting/monitoring and evaluation of projects/program.


Introduction
Building social capital is the primary objective achieved by residents playing a central role in decision making and believing that they "own" the process as they move away from being dependent (Sanoff 2000).The principles of community building are to involve residents in setting goals and strategies, to identify a community's assets as well as its problems, to work in communities of manageable size, to develop unique strategies for each neighbourhood, to reinforce community values while building human and social capital and to develop creative partnerships with institutions in the city (Naparstek et al 1997).Communities taking initiatives from the perspective of solving problems casts a negative tone on what should be a positive capacity-building process.Community building should start by identifying neighbourhood assets and finding ways to build on them; community building orientation should be positive and constructive (Kretzman and McKnight 1997).
Developing a community plan involves systematically assessing alternatives and making choices in the context of a defined community vision.Planning is a process that assists community members in translating knowledge, concerns and hopes into action.Community plans are developed based on the logic and structures of the strategic planning process.The logic of this process takes us from a broad-based vision to specific actions and action plans.The process links vision, goals, objectives and action into a logical and inter-related structure.The development of a community plan requires resources and dedicated leadership.It is important to determine whether we have what it takes to put a plan in place before we actually begin.To start the process and fail to complete it can harm our community and undermine the commitment of community members to future development approaches (Frank and Smith 1999).
Community planning is for the good of the people and as such they should play the lead role in this process.The community members should be the ones planning and managing their own development.Planning should be treated in the context of the community members' lives, aspirations and experiences.We can do this by going to the countryside to the people to find out their needs and desires for development.
Planning is aimed at solving multifarious problems confronting the community, especially the marginalized rural poor.There are a lot of activities undertaken by farmers to improve their socio-economic conditions, but these activities are not laid down in a manner that is suitable and systematic, therefore, planning is vital in this aspect.We can clearly see that planning should be organized and done together by the people themselves to make it reflective of their aspirations and goals.
Generally, the objective of the study is to come up with a community development plan for Lopati village in Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia.Specifically, the study aims to: • Determine the bio-physical and socio-economic characteristics of the community; • Determine the problems encountered by the community with emphasis on livestock, agriculture and livelihood; • Recommend appropriate plans of action in addressing these problems.

Methodology
Lopati village was selected as the site of the study based on it being a rural community characterized mainly by agricultural production activities.The accessibility to transportation facilities was also considered, as it was suited to the time resources of the researcher.
Field observation and interviews with key informants were conducted.The data gathered served as the basis for the preparation of a Community Development Plan for Lopati village, which is the ultimate goal of the activity.In addition, this data will provide guidelines for the plan's implementation as well as serving as a basis for determining the different changes or accomplishments to be made.
The researcher prepared guide questions for the interviews.Informal interviews with some key informants facilitated the gathering of data.A total of eight key informants were involved in the interview and these included some of the village councillors, a schoolteacher, and group leaders.Different problems and needs were identified and discussed and possible solutions or interventions were formulated.During the field visit, the researcher conducted an ocular survey and observed what the situation of the community was.This was also done to validate the data collected in the interviews.
The village officials informed the researcher that secondary data about the community could be obtained from the development plan they had submitted to their local government.When the researcher got hold of a copy of the plan, it was found that much needed vital information was not included in the plan.Thus, the researcher depended more on the data gathered during the field visit and interviews as basis for the preparation of the community's development plan.
This study was limited to livestock, agriculture and livelihood concerns of the village.The study considers insufficient data and time constraints as a hindrance for the preparation of a more comprehensive and extensive development plan that would help village officials pursue their developmental efforts for a better Lopati village.

The General Situation
• Location -Lopati village is one of the seventeen villages in Trimurti major village, Srandakan subdistrict, Bantul Regency.The village is bound on the south by Gunung Saren Kidul village, on the west by Nengahan village and the north by Celan village, and on the east by Gunung Saren Lor village.It is very accessible to transportation facilities.The total land area of the village is 12.8 hectares.The distance from the municipality of Bantul is about 8 km.
• Biophysical Characteristics -The village is an agricultural area.The agricultural area is devoted to farming and residences of the farming households.The dry season for the area is from April to October, while the rainy season is October to April.Various crops are grown in the area signifying that they have fertile land.The village has a flat slope.The farmers grow agricultural crops such as rice, corn, various vegetables and coconut.The dominant crop is rice because it is a staple food.Five years ago, gravity irrigation existed in the farms.However, this irrigation system dried up.Presently, water sources include artesian wells for household use and water pumps for farming.The dominant land use in the village is for agricultural purposes, orchards planted with coconut and mango, and for residential purposes.
• Labour Force -Generally, there is sufficient labour in the area.However, after the planting and harvesting season, these labourers are left with no job.More than 200 younger persons (age range 15-25) and another 200 with an age range of 25-35 are employed.Thus, they seek employment outside the community and go to other municipalities in Bantul and Yogyakarta.
• Economy -Most of the people in the village are farmers and their primary source of income is farming.Their income from farming is supplemented with income from vegetable raising, cash crops, livestock and poultry raising.Other economic activities include employment in public and private firms both locally and abroad and operation of home industry.Farm inputs such as fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, etc., are always available in the community and can be purchased anytime if cash is at hand.
• Land Ownership -The comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law whereby the farmers till land on a leasehold basis covers most of the land in the village.The farm owners also pay taxes to the government.
• Organizations -The village has one Farmers' Multipurpose Cooperative and women's group.
• Education -The village has an elementary school where the majority of the children of the residents' study.Others who have adequate financial resources send their children to private schools in the town proper or other nearby facilities.There is a day-care centre where children aged four to five years are taken care of by an assigned day-care Worker.

Problems/Needs in Agriculture and Livelihood
The respondents identified the common problems that they were experiencing as far as agriculture and livelihood is concerned in the village.These are as follows: low income, lack of capital and credit sources, unemployment, low price of agricultural products as compared to farm inputs, and lack of livestock/agricultural equipment.
• Low income -Low income is considered to be the major problem of the residents in the community.Although there is no available data on their average earnings, it was evident that their income can hardly support their needs.They are hard up in making ends meet.Based on the interviews, most of the farmers have no choice but to obtain loans from usurers who loan them money with very high and exorbitant rates just to buy inputs needed for their farms.After harvest, only a small portion of their profit is left upon payment of these loans.
• Lack of Capital and Credit Sources -Whenever the farmers need capital for their livelihood activities, they always meet difficulties in obtaining their requirements.Many are taken advantage of by informal lenders with which the same problems persist as in the above concern.Although there are government financial institutions extending loans for farmers in the locality, their previous unsatisfactory lending records haunt them and are the cause of disapproval.
• Unemployment -There are a lot of unemployed individuals in the village.Employment opportunities are very rare in the community because of the absence of firm programs and projects providing employment.
• Low price of produce -The prices of the farmers' produce are dictated by the informal money lenders/usurers from which they receive their loans.They have no control of the price of their produce.
The above-mentioned problems are interrelated and interconnected, and a solution for a given problem, if successfully implemented, will eventually solve the other problems.Which problem is to be given attention first is the concern of both the village officials and the community residents themselves.These problems cannot be solved in isolation and single-handedly by a sector of society; they should be addressed coordinately, cooperatively and harmoniously.
Based on the foregoing problems and needs that were identified, the general objective of the community development plan for Lopati village is to develop and effect some changes in the community, particularly in increasing the community's capacity for income generation.Specifically, the plan aims to: • Strengthen the capacity of the existing cooperative in terms of its operation and management.
• Convert the farmer's and women's associations into a cooperative.
• Introduce and implement various alternative livelihood opportunities such as swine dispersal projects, duck raising and home industries.
• Introduce purely self-help projects.
• Conduct specialized training or intensification of knowledge in farming.
• Help farmers market their produce with realistic farm gate prices.
• Encourage farmers to pay their previous loans from banks in order to avail continued services of the lending program/institutions.
• Involve other banks in participating in credit programs.

Plan of Action/Interventions Proposed
The following are the plans of action or interventions proposed to develop and effect some changes in the community, particularly in increasing the community's capacity for income generation.
• Strengthening of the existing farmers' multipurpose cooperative -Cooperatives are considered as a viable vehicle for solving various problems that confront the majority of people in the community.The group believes that if the existing farmers' cooperative is strengthened, it will serve the purpose for which it was organized.The present operation and management of the cooperative seems to have no direction.There are no clear policies on how to increase the capitalization of the cooperative.There is no expansion in membership.Most of the village officials interviewed was not members of the cooperative and they are the ones who should be leaders in the promotion of cooperative development.In this regard, there should be continuous membership expansion through continuous education and training seminars for interested residents.If membership was increased, many community members would contribute to the capital requirement of the cooperative thereby widening its business activities to cover all aspects of the needs of members.In addition, continuous education in a capital build up scheme will motivate members to pour capital into the cooperative and increase capitalization of the cooperative.The capital may reach a level at which all requirements of the farmers will be met by the cooperative, meaning that it can serve as a source of capital for the members, thereby eliminating middlemen and usurers who continue to impoverish the rural poor.• Introduction and implementation of swine dispersal project -This project will help beneficiaries acquire skills and technologies in swine raising that will motivate them to engage further in swine production enterprises.This will also increase their income and can even become their primary source of livelihood.
• Intensification of duck raising -Duck raising is suitable in Lopati village because the area is along the Progo River.The ducks are a source of meat and eggs for the family as well as for selling purposes.To increase the value of duck eggs, they could be processed into salted eggs, which are a very famous Indonesian delicacy.There are plenty of technicians from the Department of Agriculture and other agencies that could assist the farmers in this endeavor.
• Home industries -Home industries require only a small capital to start their operation.These projects are ideal for women and youth in the village who are unemployed.Such industries (making tofu and salted eggs, coconut candies, coconut broomsticks, milk crackers, geplak and nata de coco and basket/hat weaving from bamboo) can be the occupation of the people after the planting/cropping seasons are finished.
• Introduction of purely self-help projects -These activities will not require so much time for the residents.These will be usually done during their spare time.Both young and old people can participate in these self-help projects, such as backyard gardening, home beautification, sports development activities and fund-raising activities.
• Training workshops for farmers, youth and women -Various training workshops mentioned in the matrix will be provided to interested individuals to improve their capabilities and expertise in their chosen field of specialization.These workshops will condition their attitudes and behaviour towards these activities to increase in the production of the aforementioned products.
• Competitive farm gate prices for the community's products -As mentioned earlier, farmers and fishermen are always at the mercy of the dealers or middlemen.It is suggested that farmers themselves should be taught to market their own produce.
The cooperative should seek assistance from the extension workers of the Department of Agriculture regarding various marketing strategies.In doing so, farmers could get competitive farm gate prices for their produce.
• Payment of previous loans -Most residents in the area are indebted with banking institutions for their farm inputs.Because of natural calamities that struck the community, the majority of people were not able to pay their loans to the banks.In this regard, it is suggested that the community should reactivate crop insurance.In times of disaster, such as after an earthquake, they would be able to claim some benefits from these insurance companies, thereby enabling them to pay part of their incurred loans.Aside from crop insurance, the farmers should be motivated to pay their previous loans in order to gain access to the services of these credit institutions.
• Encouragement/reactivation of other banks to participate in a credit program -It is suggested that other banks must be encouraged to participate in supervised credit programs.This can be done through collaboration with various banking institutions of the municipal government of Bantul as well as the provincial government of Yogyakarta.
• General assembly meeting/monitoring and evaluation of projects/program -Just like in any program or project, it is important that these programs be monitored and evaluated to determine what factors contribute to their successes and failures.It is recommended that the community should conduct regular general assembly meetings to voice their problems and needs.In addition, the occasion would serve as a place for members to learn from the other residents of the community.Likewise, regular monitoring and evaluation of the implemented programs and projects should always be done to check the operation and management of these programs.In this way, if there are problems in the program, they can be addressed immediately.

Conclusion
Not all community development initiatives require formal plans.Many valuable outcomes have been obtained through ad hoc or less structured processes.On the other hand, many potentially successful initiatives have failed because there was either no plan or a very poor one in place.Depending on the complexity of the situation and the resources involved, the need for a formal plan will vary.
Regardless of the formality of the planning process, community development action is not possible without a common vision and purpose.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN: RURAL LIVESTOCK, AGRICULTURE AND LIVELIHOOD IN INDONESIA Summary
Planning is aimed at solving multifarious problems confronting the community, especially the marginalized rural poor.There are a lot of activities undertaken by farmers to improve their socio-economic conditions, but these activities are not laid down in a manner that is suitable and systematic, therefore planning is vital in this aspect.
Study was done in one community in Lopati village, Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta province, Indonesia.This study was focused on how a rural community planned their development with their own strength and potential through rural livestock, agriculture, and livelihood.Generally, the objective of the study is to come up with a community development plan.Specifically, the study aims to determine the biophysical and socio-economic characteristics of the community, determine the problems encountered by the community with emphasis on livestock, agriculture and livelihood and recommend appropriate plans of action in addressing these problems.
Lopati village was selected as the site of the study based on it being a rural community characterized mainly by agricultural production activities.Accessibility to transportation facilities was also considered, as it was suited to the time resources of the researcher.
Field observation and interviews with key informants were conducted.The data gathered served as the basis for the preparation of a Community Development Plan for Lopati village, which is the ultimate goal of the activity.In addition, this data will provide guidelines in the plan's implementation as well as serving as a basis for determining the different changes or accomplishments to be made.The researcher prepared guide questions for the interviews.Informal interviews with some key informants facilitated the gathering of data.A total of eight key informants were involved in the interview, including some of the village councillors, a schoolteacher, and group leaders.Different problems and needs were identified and discussed and possible solutions or interventions were formulated.During the field visit, the researcher conducted an ocular survey and observed what the situation of the community was.This was also done to validate the data collected in the interviews.
The village officials informed the researcher that secondary data about the community could be obtained from the development plan they had submitted to the local government.When the researcher got hold of a copy of the plan, it was found that much needed vital information was not included in the plan.Thus, the researcher depended more on the data gathered during the field visit and interviews as basis for the preparation of the community development plan.
Lopati village is one of seventeen villages in Trimurti major village, Srandakan subdistrict, Bantul Regency.The village is bound on the south by Gunung Saren Kidul village, on the west by Nengahan village, on the north by Celan village, and on the east by Gunung Saren Lor village.It is very accessible to transportation facilities.The total land area of the village is 12.8 hectares.The distance from the municipality of Bantul is about 8 km.The village is an agricultural area.The agricultural area is devoted to farming and residences of the farming households.The dry season for the area is from April to October, while the rainy season is from October to April.Various crops area grown in the area signifying that it has fertile land.The village has a flat slope.The farmers grow agricultural crops such as rice, corn, various vegetables and coconut.The dominant crop is rice because it is a staple food.
Most of the people in the village are farmers and their primary source of income is farming.Their income from farming is supplemented by income from vegetable raising, cash crops, livestock and poultry raising.Other economic activities include employment in public and private firms both locally and abroad and operation of home industry.The comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law whereby the farmers till land on a leasehold basis covers most of the land in the village.The farm owners pay taxes to the government.The village has one Farmers' Multipurpose Cooperative and a women's group.
The respondents identified common problems that they experience as far as agriculture and livelihood is concerned in the village.These are as follows: low income, lack of capital and credit sources, unemployment, low price of agricultural products as compared to farm inputs, and lack of livestock/agricultural equipment.The above-mentioned problems are interrelated and interconnected, and a solution for a given problem, if successfully implemented, will eventually solve the other problems.Which problem is to be given attention first is the concern of both the village officials and the community residents themselves.These problems cannot be solved in isolation or single-handedly by a sector of society, but must be addressed coordinately, cooperatively and harmoniously.
Based on the identified foregoing problems and needs, the general objective of the community development plan for Lopati village is to develop and effect some change in the community, particularly in increasing the community's capacity for income generation.The following is a list of plans of action or interventions proposed for the purposes of developing and effecting some changes in the community, particularly in increasing the community's capacity for income generation: • Strengthening of the existing farmers' multipurpose cooperative.
• Conversion of the farmers' and women's association into cooperatives.
• Introduction and implementation of a swine dispersal project.
• Intensification of duck raising.
• Introduction of purely self-help projects.
• Training workshops for farmers, youth and women.
• Competitive farm gate prices for the community's products.
• Payment of previous loans.
• Encouragement/reactivation of various banks to participate in credit programs • General assembly meeting/monitoring and evaluation of projects/program.
Study concluded that not all community development initiatives require formal plans.Many valuable outcomes have been obtained through ad hoc or less structured processes.On the other hand, many potentially successful initiatives have failed because there was either no plan or a very poor one in place.Depending on the complexity of the situation and the resources involved, the need for a formal plan will vary.Regardless of the formality of the planning process, community development action is not possible without a common vision and purpose.