Peri-urban farmland owner in the growing municipality, case study Kediri Municipality

Farmers in the peri-urban are facing difficulties to sustain farming activities. Kediri municipality is one of growing municipality in the East Java Province and hold important role as growth pole. Its farmland covers approximately 30% of total area [1]. It is projected to decrease in next 20 years due to accommodating dwellers' activity. At the same time, food security issue emerges and farmers are encouraged to maintain it farmland according to agrarian law [2] and protection of sustainable food crop farmland [3] to achieve food security. This paper aims to investigate farmland owner point of view related to growing municipality issue. The variables are farmland owner decision, household condition both social and economic aspect. This research employed in-depth interview which is part of Repertory Grid Technique and descriptive statistical analysis. The respondents are 5 farmland owners who are farmer. We found, farmland owner tends to sell their land if none succeed farming. They are also prioritizing formal education. They confirmed that their children less interested when their children get higher education. Neighbor farmland activities affect farmland owner preferences. For instance, when neighbor farmland owner sells their farmland, other owners tend to sell it too. It showed bond between farmland owners. Furthermore when it converted into built up area, it gives negative impact on farming activities such as water pollution. This finding can be used by government to establish spatial planning especially municipality that has big percentage of food crop farmland.