Dream Comes True, Kitchen Keeps Sizzling
A farmer feeds catfish in a pond in Pangauban village, Lelea district, Indramayu district, West Java, on Saturday (25/2). Local residents have strived to develop catfish farms independently.
In Pangauban village, Lela district, Indramayu regency, West Java, catfish farming leads to prosperity. The key is a strong will to learn and hard work.
The purchase notes of catfish seeds and feed were shown neatly on a small board at a saung (small pole house) belonging to the Karo Tetangga Campur (KTC) group in Pangauban village on Saturday (25/2).
There were also records of pellet feed and medicine. It amounted to 4,050 kilograms and 61 liters, respectively. It also mentioned 100,000 catfish seeds. The seeds were ready for breeding in ponds in the middle of rice fields and in the housing area.
As a group acting as a forum for neighbors, KTC consists of Pangauban residents. There are 13 people who manage 26 ponds measuring 10x4 meters and 11x5 meters. Coming from different backgrounds, they have been in the catfish business for three years.
KTC secretary Nurhadi, 42, used to be a garment employee with an unsteady income. On lucky days, he could earn Rp 120,000 per day from sewing. Very often, he earned nothing.
One day in 2014, he came across unique facts about catfish farming, learning that in 40 days, catfish can be harvested and that the farming of 7-12 centimeter-long catfish can bring great profits.
Such profits are bigger and more alluring than rice, which is harvested in three months, or carp, which also takes longer to harvest. “Now, the sales of catfish are around Rp 11 million a month,” he said.
Combating problems
However, success did not come instantly. The catfish farm had created problems. Heavy rain in 2013 hit Indramayu, including Pangauban village. At that time, land conversion caused a decrease in the rate of water absorption. Catfish farms were destroyed.Losses incurred reached Rp 100 million.
“Because the methods were simple, our profits were minimal. When the flood struck, we did not have money left,” Nurhadi said.
One resident affected by the floods was Mujayin, 27. The catfish farm built by his parents in 2010 was hit by flood waters. Although he was afraid to start all over again, he could not refuse calls from his neighbors to rebound from the incident. The catfish farm was located in 4,639 hectares of irrigated land. He understood that there was great opportunity to recover if the catfish farms were developed as a unit.
Discussions with 13 villagers led to the formation of KTC in 2014. Without bank loans, they paid Rp 1 million each to start the business. At that time, the pond was filled only with 1,800 catfish seeds due to limited capital. “To improve our skills and knowledge, we learned from other catfish farm groups in Indramayu. The regency maritime affairs and fisheries office also provided information about catfish farms,” said Mujayin, a part-time teacher.
Catfish farm training varied. KTC members learned how to build ponds without plastic flooring. Such a concept was preferred to tarpaulin-floored ponds, as the soil provides plankton, the natural feed for catfish. “We also created a water sewage system, cleaned rubbish routinely and built a higher embankment from 30 to 50 centimeters. We did not want floods destroying the pond and creating more problems,” he said.
Planning
Today, their willingness to learn has brought benefits. With additional capital, each pond is filled with 100,000 catfish seeds. During harvest, they can collect 260 tons or Rp 44 million. The biggest markets for them are in Jakarta, Cirebon and Brebes.
Throughout their success, they have continued to learn. An offer to develop financial management skills from the Financial Education and Empowerment Goes Digital (FEED) and Mobile of non-profit group Mercy Corps Indonesia supported by Citi Foundation was accepted openly. “We wanted to learn about financial management for our group,” Mujayin said.
With the six-month training, KTC members will learn about banking services, which will help them develop the skills needed to run a business.
Nurhadi, for example, is now able to predict income during harvest. From three ponds, Nurhadi is confident he can earn Rp11.9 million in sales from the production of 7 kuintal (700 kg) of catfish, valued at Rp 17,000 per kg. After calculating the costs of feed, medicine and seeds, he estimated a net profit of up to Rp 4.5 million.
FEED Mobile program manager Nino Rianditya Putra said the catfish farmers in Indramayu have the potential to be prosperous. According to Nino, the FEED Mobile program, launched in 2014, consists of financial management and entrepreneurship training. Around 5,041 farmers and 8,000 businesspeople of small and medium enterprises in Indramayu attended the training. “Almost all farmers who attended the training now have side businesses and around 70 percent of them actively access formal banking services,” he said.
The willingness of KTC members to acquire business skills corresponds with the growth of financial literacy. The 2016 Financial Services Authority national financial inclusion and literacy survey shows the financial literacy index was 29.66 percent, higher than in 2013 when the number stood at 21.84 percent.
“If they are willing to learn, I am confident their kitchen will be sizzling,” Nurhadi said.
Among KTC members, former sewing workers, drivers and part-time teachers have proven it.
