Analysis of S tructural Poverty Trend Among R ice Farmers in East Aceh Regency, Indonesia

The purposes of this study were to analyze the structural poverty among rice farmers in East Aceh Regency and to analyze factors causing the structural poverty among rice farmers in East Aceh Regency, Indonesia. Data collection was performed by observation, questionnaire distribution and interview. The research objects were rice farmers in East Aceh Regency. The research locations were 14 (fourteen) sub-districts based on the biggest rice field areas in East Aceh Regency. The data collection technique was purposive sampling. The total sample was 1200 respondents. The model in the present study was descriptive quantitative statistical technique to describe the structural poverty among rice farmers in East Aceh Regency. The analysis and research were performed in 5 (five) stages, i.e. ; (1) distributing questionnaires to the research locations; (2) making data tabulation in the form of table (data coding); (3) performing validity test on data; (4) calculating poverty index score; (5) analyzing data. The research result showed that the structural poverty of rice farmers in East Aceh Regency was due to limited access to education, wage difference and low income of farm workers, limited land ownership (size and ownership status of agricultural land), and limited facilities and infrastructures to support agricultural activities. The indicators of poverty in East Aceh Regency were prosperity level, level of material wealth, education, income, environment, land area, service and politics. Based on the indicators, the score of poverty index among rice farmers in East Aceh Regency was medium, with the score of average poverty index of 57.73 percent. The factors causing structural poverty among rice farmers in East Aceh Regency are the rice farmers’ dependency to higher social classes, structural injustice and structural wealth of farmers, small opportunity to own and control production assets, especially land and capital, development disparity and lack of policy which sided with poor farmers. The implications of this research are that the government continues to implement price stability policies, subsidies and funds programs, and social assistance policies, and any poverty reduction policies will have political implications that have a short-term impact.