Shifting Livelihood From Agriculture to Mining: Is it the Right Decision?

This study aims to study a number of factors that influence the process of labor moving from the agricultural sector to the mining sector due to the rampant development of the mining industry carried out by multi-national companies in Morowali District, Central Sulawesi Province. This research is descriptive, and data was collected through in-depth interviews with key informants and other respondents. The results of the study indicate that the factors of education, skills, and work experience have no effect on the process of hiring workers in mining companies. This is due to mining companies prioritizing local workers to avoid competition from outside workers. The company requires simply that the young people have finished high school or above. The mechanism of higher monthly wages, as well as the health insurance offered by mining companies compared to the uncertain revenue obtained from agricultural activities, are the main causes of young farmers leaving the agricultural sector, although most of them are placed in very low positions. The lack of government attention to increasing agricultural production has caused agriculture only to be an option for workers who are already unproductive or cannot pass education in senior high school. This condition causes most people to be very dependent on the activities of mining companies which can stop at any time and threaten the sustainability of livelihoods and income of the community. Were the company and the government to provide capacity building programs, future prospects may well be improved. To maintain the existence of the agricultural sector and maintain income inequality, it is necessary for the government and mining companies to establish agricultural mechanization programs in order to overcome the scarcity of labour. In order for the mining company to have a loyal and progressive workforce, inhouse education programs could be offered to the local employees who show promise and drive.