Seminars/Symposia:FY 2004
July, 2004
- Special Seminar of "State, Market and Community Study Group"
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- Topic："Living in disguise? Minahasan community in Oarai, Ibaraki."
- Speaker：Dr. Riwanto Tirtosudarmo, Visiting Professo, Research Institute for Language
and Cultures, of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
- Date & Time：13:30-15:30, July 6 (Tues.), 2004
- Place：Room 207, East Building of CSEAS
- Abstract：
Around the beginning of the1990s Minahasan migrants from North Sulawesi,
Indonesia began to trickle into Oarai in Ibaraki Perfecture, Japan. They
were mostly employed as casual workers in small fish packaging companies
that operated in this little port town.
As the numbers of Minahasan have increased, Oarai has become a 'little
Manado' where Minahasan social institutions have emerged. Two important
institutions, namely the Church and 'kerukunan' (a typical Minahasan people's
organisation based on the same village of origin) were established in Oarai.
These two institutions are important binding factors that make a 'far away
from home Minahasan community' exist in Oarai. My talk will center on the
livelihoods of this vulnerable community particularly in relation to their
'illegality' in Japan and the constant changes of difficult circumstances
to which they have to adapt. It was estimated that the number of Minahasan
is now around one thousand people and there are four Churches (three Protestant
and one Catholic) actively serving the Minahasan community in Oarai.
- Special Seminar by CSEAS Visiting Research Fellow
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- Topic："Cropping-Pattern Approach to the Dry Land Agriculture in Kyaukpadaung
Township, Dry Zone, Central Myanmar."
- Speaker：Dr. Khin Lay Swe, Associate Professor, Yezin Agricultural University and CSEAS visiting research fellow
- Date & Time： 15:00 - 17:00, July 2 (Fri.), 2004
- Place：Room 207, East Building of CSEAS
- Abstract：
Problems and Challenges： The Dry Zone covers approximately 677,000 km2, where about 11 million
people live. The landscape is broadly undulating covered with scattered
shrubs and poor quality grasses. It has the characteristics of very low
and erratic rainfall over time and space, shallow soils with low fertility
and low moisture holding capacity. In most areas, land degradation and
erosion rates are severe leading to chronic food insecurity and poverty.
The improper cultural practices of farmers in their cropping patterns,
land preparation, and soil and water management systems enhance the deterioration
of the fragile ecosystems. As fuel wood and animal feed are in scarcity,
it is often substituted by plant residues, which leads to decrease in organic
matter and fertility of the soil.
Cropping pattern research： A diagnostic survey was done at the 12 Agricultural Extension villages
in Kyaukpadaung township during April, 2002 to March, 2003. This base line
study was primarily aimed at the identification of stable cropping systems
relevant to small farmers operating under serious labor and capital constraints.
Small land holdings and high labor-land ratios make the complex multi-crop
production systems possible in most parts of the study sites. Multiple
cropping patterns such as mixed cropping, intercropping, relay cropping
and crop rotation are generally practiced with the objective of reducing
the crop losses. The Dry Zone stands as “main-surplus-producing area”
of pulses and oil seed crops. Pulses have been an enormous increase in
production since the liberalization in legume export market in 1990. Oil
seed crops are grown as sole, however, in most areas, monsoon sesame or
peanut is broadcast between pigeon pea rows. After the harvest, mung bean
or cowpea were planted between the rows as the sequential crops.
Since there is no functioning policy to cover crop failure, farmers are
not motivated by higher input and better management. To increase the agricultural
products, the land has been used extensively and beyond its capacity. The
productivity of current farming systems and the protection of environmental
quality cannot be sustained for long if we continue such practices as the
application of very few nutrients, and inefficient utilization of crop
residues. Ways need to be sought to increase the use of compost, improve
soil fertility, harvest more rain water, and enhance farm productivity.
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