Sweetness of Farmers’ “Friendship” with Technology
Muhammad Nu\'man, 35, operates a water pump to irrigate his farm in Sambilawang village, Waringinkurung district, Serang regency, Banten, Friday (4/8). The pump starts on diesel fuel and then runs on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), an innovation that saves on irrigation costs and also allows for dry-season crop cultivation.
A wealth of natural resources does not immediately lead to happy farmers. Their implementation of innovative technology can serve as a bridge towards prosperity.
Ahmad Naufal, 32, cranked the water pump and it roared into life. Water gushed into the trenches where a variety of vegetables were planted. Naufal’s innovation has brought him many agricultural benefits.
The pump is proof of Naufal’s persistence. Only a small amount of gasoline is needed to start the engine. Afterwards, it runs on LPG.
“There is a ventilator connected to the LPG regulator to adjust the gas flow,” Naufal said in early August at his home in Sambilawang village, Waringinkurung district, Serang regency, Banten.
The pump, Naufal said, had an important role in managing his 1.4-hectare farm. Water is not easily found in Waringinkurung, especially during the dry season. A 20-meter-long,6-centimeter-diameter pipe is needed to draw water from the manmade well. Thanks to the flowing water, Naufal can continue growing crops even when the farmers around him are struggling with the dry soil.
“The pump is more effective and cost-efficient,” said the graduate of Yabhinka vocational high school of Cilegon, Banten.
He then counted his daily costs. In one day, he only needed Rp 22,000 (US$1.66) to irrigate 1,500 square meters of land. The cost could be twice as much if he used a water pump fueled only by gasoline.
The pump is not the only technological innovation Naufal applied on his farm. He also uses artificial mulch to cover the soil. One side of the mulch is silver,and the other side black. The silver side is used to reflect sunlight. This way, the bugs underneath the leaves would become uncomfortable.
“The reflected sunlight will make it too hot for the bugs, and they go away,” Naufal said.
Despite being in common use by farmers, Naufal said that using artificial mulch was not considered “proper procedure”. Many local farmers are reluctant to shell out Rp 4 million to purchase it, despite the proof of an abundant harvest. According to Naufal, he harvested 4 tons of yard long beans from his 5,000 sqm farm in July. The yield was twice as much as that from another farm of equal size that didn’t use the mulch.
Naufal is not alone in using modern technology to boost his farming business. Nur Agis, 28, also maximizes his farm’s production yield through technology. The owner of the Jawara Banten Farm applies an integrated crop and husbandry farming method. He uses goat manure for fertilizer and crop waste as goat feed. This way, Agis saves the money he would have needed to purchase both items.
“If I can lower my expenses and make savings, I will certainly make more money,” said Agis, who started farming in 2013.
The 3,000 sqm Jawara Banten Farm has a goat pen and a fruit farm with papaya, banana and mango trees. Agis has 80 goats at the farm.
Dependency on import
Applying agricultural technology is among the major issues for Indonesian farmers. Technological equipment is often seen as foreign things and are rarely touched, despite their efficacy and proven benefits. Apart from rice and vegetable farmers, salt farmers and fishermen are also often confounded by technological equipment, which leads to their reluctance in using them. Complaints about high installation costs and a general reluctance to adapt are often heard even before they are tried out.
As a result, local farming methods are relatively undeveloped. Old farming methods are still in use during the digital era. It is unsurprising that problems like failed harvests, pest infestations and unfavorable natural conditions make it difficult for farmers to thrive. Recently, salt farmers have suffered major losses. The lack of sunny days has resulted in failed salt harvests and the temporary closure of salt-processing companies. Consequently, the maritime product sector has had to depend on salt imported from Australia.
Buchari, a professor at the Bandung Institute of Technology’s Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, said that it was high time technology was applied to boost local agricultural commodities. Expectations that the weather would side with humans clearly made farmers financially vulnerable and produced very little yield.
“Farmers in China and Australia are already using evaporator technology to evaporate seawater without depending on the sun. The government can help farmers to apply such technology,” he said.
Willing to learn
Although it is not yet ideal, the government’s assistance for local farmers can be seen in Sutam hamlet of Sumbersari village, Ciparay district, Bandung regency. Three harvesters were recently distributed to farmers here. Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman personally handed the harvesters over to local farmers.
Amran said that the harvesters facilitated faster harvesting with a higher yield for farmers. At a speed of 1.9 kilometers per hour and a fuel consumption of 1.4 liters per hour, the machines can finish harvesting much faster. From a harvesting period of three to four days,harvesters can finish the job in just two to three hours.
Harvesting is also more cost-efficient. Only Rp 60,000 of diesel fuel is needed for a single harvest.
Hilman, 60, one of the hundreds of farmers in the village, was enthusiastic about the harvester’s arrival. Despite his age, Hilman cannot wait to learn new farming methods. “It’ll be good. Harvesting will not be so tiring any more.”
The harvest season has always been difficult for Hilman. To earn Rp 8.4 million from a 2,800-square-meter farm, he needs Rp 2.2 million to pay three farm workers. After paying the land management fee, he can only take home Rp 2 million to Rp 3 million every three months.
The old harvesting method was also inefficient. He needed two or three days to harvest an average 1.4 tons of unhusked rice. The cost was high and harvesting took too much time.
“I am convinced that the resulting harvest will be more effective than just cutting down the crops by hand. If there are other technologies for planting and maintenance, I want to learn them,” Hilman said.
