East Nusa Tenggara Food Estate: Farmers Face Disappointment Amidst Project Woes

Farmers in Fatuketi Village, Belu Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), are expressing disappointment with the 'food estate' development project. Launched in 2022 as a National Strategic Project (PSN) with a visit from President Joko Widodo, the initiative has shifted local farming practices towards monoculture, raising concerns about food security and livelihoods. Sose Soares, a farmer from Fatuketi Village, told Mongabay Indonesia on Saturday (July 18th, [year not specified in original text]) that previously, villagers could cultivate a variety of crops, including corn, green beans, pumpkin, sweet potato, and fodder for livestock. However, the food estate project has directed them to exclusively plant corn. "Before, people here could get food for daily needs from their gardens. Now, everything depends on corn. If it fails, we will also suffer because we have to buy food again," Sose stated. He was observed clearing residual plant roots from his approximately 600-meter plot of land, which is planted with three-week-old corn in food estate Block B. Blocks C and D remained overgrown with weeds and tall grass. The farmers manage a total of two hectares of land collectively within the food estate. The project in Fatuketi is planned to cover 53 hectares for corn cultivation and 281 hectares for rice fields. The shift to monoculture raises concerns about increased vulnerability to pests and diseases, as well as price fluctuations and crop failures impacting farmers' incomes. Instead of strengthening food security, the project appears to be creating instability in local food access.