Young Farmer Finds Happiness

KOMPAS/MELATI MEWANGI

Ananda Dwi Septian 12-2019SOSOK

At a young age, Ananda Dwi Septian, 25, challenged himself to become a farmer. Through the community that he founded, the Independent Young Farmers, he spread the farming spirit to youths in the village. Farming is not about hoeing for him, but a promising profession.

On Saturday afternoon (14/12/2019), Ananda Dwi “Boti” Septian was busy sorting long beans for sale at the Hadjat Tani booth during the Dapur Hidup Nusantara (Living kitchens of the archipelago) at Wanayasa district, West Java. The cloudy sky did not dampen Boti\'s enthusiasm in welcoming every visitor who stopped by his booth with a friendly smile.

Boti has been a horticultural farmer since 2017. Although he is still a beginner, he is sure that agriculture is his calling. He earns a minimum of Rp 7 million a month from farming.

"Being happy at work brings joy. I am proud to be a young and independent farmer," he said, smiling, and then shared his story.

He was unemployed for two years after his work contract was not renewed.

Before he became a farmer, Boti worked at an automotive factory for 1.5 years. He felt that the income he earned was minimal, and it was all spent on rent and meals. He was unemployed for two years after his work contract was not renewed.

He applied for jobs at various places during that time, but to no avail. His situation did not improve until he finally met Haris Budiman, chairman of the Purwakarta Youth Farmers Association, who gave him a ray of hope. Boti learned about the agriculture business from the upstream to the downstream, and decided to become a farmer.

His parents initially opposed his decision, but they still gave him 5,000 square meters of land. Boti used his savings to purchase all other needs like seeds, fertilizer, bamboo stakes and farming equipment, as well as wages for workers, which totaled Rp 3.5 million.

Boti tried to convince his parents that this was the right choice.

"I told them, I would break even with my very first harvest. I was nervous yet optimistic as I waited for the harvest. Alhamdulillah [Praise be to God], everything became easier," he said.

Regeneration

His bitter experience at being unemployed was why Boti endeavors to empower the young people in his village of Margaluyu in Kiarapedes district, Purwakarta. He encouraged dozens of his peers to become farmers.

The lack of efforts to regenerate young farmers made Boti concerned: What would food production look like in the future if there were no young farmers?

Boti’s concern corresponds with the 2018 agriculture survey of Statistics Indonesia (BPS), which found that most major farmers were aged 45-54 years and comprised 7.8 million people, or 44 percent of the farmer population. This was followed by farmers of the 35-44 age group (6.6 million), 25-34 years (2.9 million) and below 25 (273,000 farmers).

At first, it was not easy to introduce agriculture to young people. Farming is still belittled as a profession because of its low income and low social status, and because it required getting dirty working the fields. Only three young men were interested in joining Boti.

Boti didn\'t say much, as he wanted to prove that farming was a good and profitable profession. "Changing the negative mindset and stigma towards farmers takes a long time. They must be shown real results, not just theory," he said.

After the first harvest, his farm became a magnet for young people in the village. They stopped by the gazebo at the edge of the farm to watch Boti farm. Some of them then joined him in cultivating his fields.

He sells his vegetables directly to the Cikopo Central Market without using any intermediaries.

Boti’s farm involves the entire agricultural process, from the upstream to the downstream, from tilling to a nursery, and from producing natural fertilizers to packaging. He sells his vegetables directly to the Cikopo Central Market without using any intermediaries.

Boti said that the persistent problem was that middlemen set the price of harvested crops. The vegetables from an abundant harvest are bought at a low price because of surplus production amid stable demand, whereas the capital expenditure was the same.

For example, he said red chilies were harvested every four days to yield up to 400 kilograms of the crop. If farmers sold the chilies directly to the market, the selling price was Rp 14,000 per kilogram, higher than the price of Rp 12,500-Rp 13,500 per kilogram that middlemen offered to farmers. So through his community, Boti wants to shorten the supply chain, because it could harm farmers.

To increase the selling price further, Boti has innovated by processing his crops into processed foods, like preserved dried tomatoes and kale crackers. "Product diversification increases the sales value, so farmers do not lose much," he said.

Over time, a crop marketing network began to take shape. Crop orders arrived from a variety of retail stores and factories, but Boti was unable to fulfill the orders because of his limited production capacity.

Using this as a motivator, he again invited his peers to become farmers. Today, the Independent Young Farmers community has 20 members. Boti feels more excited as more and more young people become farmers, and not threatened by competition. He believes that everyone has their own fortune.

Boti’s activities have attracted not just young people, but also senior farmers who wanted to switch to vegetable farming. Boti also earned his parents\' trust, and they asked Boti to farm their empty 6-hectare plot.

Boti dreams of developing horticulture in his village. He wants to encourage the villagers to grow

vegetables in polybags or pots for their family’s needs. He believes that this method would help motivate young people and the village community to turn to farming.

"They reap the benefits from what they put into practice. The important thing is to be willing to try," said Boti.

His journey to introduce agriculture to young people still stretches ahead, but Boti is optimistic that his efforts will bear sweet fruit in the future.

KOMPAS/MELATI MEWANGI

i Ananda Dwi Septian

Ananda Dwi Septian

Born: Purwakarta, 10 September 1994

Education:

- SMK Prabusakti I Purwakarta, automotive major (2010-2013)

- SMP Negeri 1 Kiarapedes (2007-2010)