Oekusipost.com Oe-Kusi Ambeno - Tono Irrigation which was inaugurated by the Head of State Francisco Guterres Lu Olo in 2017, today is not functioning, because 1700 farmer's fields were abandoned because there was no water from the irrigation.
Even though thousands of hectares of rice fields owned by farmers were only tens of meters from the mouth of irrigation that spent tens of millions of US dollars. In plain view, Tono irrigation was filled with mud and sand.
Previously, the Authority of the Special Administrative Region Oe-Kusi Ambeno (RAEOA) promised that Tono irrigation development, which cost tens of millions of US dollars from the State Budget, would later benefit farmers to plow their fields to 1170ha to answer the needs of 961 families in Cunha Village, Lalisuk and Lifau, Pante Makassar District. But unfortunately, the promise of the RAEOA Authority is nothing, because of the impact of climate change and technically, Tono irrigation is not good.
Tono Irrigation with two grooves with a length of 26.5 Km and 2.6 Km, respectively, does not drain the water that farmers need.
During the inauguration, Head of State Francisco Guterres Lu-Olo said in his speech that with the Tono irrigation, the rice production of the Atoni Oe-Kusi community would be abundant and even interest in buying rice would be reduced, because Tono irrigation would drain water with a large discharge so that the farmers could plow rice fields twice a year.
"I am sure, the people of Oe-Kusi will not buy rice, because the water debit is greater. If within a year they (parents, young people and children) continue to produce rice, it means that Oe-Kusi will not experience food shortages, said President Lu-Olo when observing the Tono irrigation system directly in Cunha of Pante Makassar Sub-Region, Friday June 9, 2017.
President Lu-Olo, who currently still serve as Chairman of the FRETILIN Party, also considers the Special Zones of Social Market Economy (ZEESM) pilot project to bring benefits to the people of Oe-Kusi. But this assumption was later contradicted by the reality faced by the farmers.
Farmers in Oe-Kusi Ambeno consider Tono irrigation is not a solution that brings grace to respond to farmers' needs to plow their fields twice a year, but instead bring disaster, because until March 2020 farmers cannot plow their fields.
The Lifau Village-chief, Crisantos Colo, admitted that this year many farmers could not plow their fields because of reduced rainfall. For this reason, he asked the RAEOA Authority to rehabilitate the Tono irrigation to drain water for the farmers' fields.
"Tono dams and irrigation do provide good benefits for farmers depending on rainfall. The proof is that two years ago we plowed our fields. This year most farmers have not been able to plow fields. The amount of river water is there, but the irrigation is actually filled with sand, "he admitted by telephone to the O-Kusi Post, Monday, March 8, 2020.
In a different place, the Lalisuk Village-chief, Ermelindo Lalisuk considers the government only to waste public money to build Tono irrigation, because in reality it has not been profitable for farmers in recent years.
"I know that the construction of the Tono irrigation project cost Eleven Million US Dollars (US $ 11 Million), but there was no result, because the farmers only plowed the rice fields once a year. You cannot plow twice, because irrigation is filled with mud and sand, there is no water, "said the Head of Ermerlindo Village to the Oe-Kusi Post in Padiae, Monday, March 8, 2020.
With this reality in mind, Ermelindo asked the government to establish a good plan for removing mud and sand in Tono irrigation to supply water to the farmers' fields.
"But I want to emphasize here that, Tono Dam and Irrigation does not provide benefits to farmers here".
Responding to this problem, the Director of Agriculture and Rural Development Cerilio dos Remédios Baba claimed that this situation occurred because of the lack of rainfall so far.
"The dam has a function to supply water for one thousand seven hundred seventeen hectares of rice fields. We also know that floods have just begun to occur, for that we will use Tono irrigation, because the construction of dams is not to be made into a trash bin. For this reason, farmers also need to work together to clean up the dirt after the flood, Baba appealed. (nin)
