Nurturing Smart Farmers

KOMPAS/MACHRADIN WAHYUDI RITONGA

Ati Nurhayati

Village-owned enterprises (BUMDes) are more than just a means to increase a village’s income. Dedi Setiawan Hariyanto, 53, and Ati Nurhayati, 42, run a BUMDes that trains farmers how to decide which crops to plant by looking at their market potential.

The bright sun on Tuesday (27/8/2019) in Sukajaya village of Sukabumi district, Sukabumi regency, West Java, did not wilt the enthusiasm of those working an 8-hectare agritourism farm, where they grow a variety of crops, such as melons, edamame (soybeans), peanuts, chili and onions. Some of these plants are grown on open fields, and some in greenhouses.

Inside the greenhouse, Dedi Setiawan observed 2-week-old Caribbean melons, occasionally monitoring the liquid fertilizer. "The right composition of fertilizer can help plants develop optimally to produce quality fruit," he said.

On joining Sukajaya village’s Terus Jaya Sehati village-owned enterprise (BUMDes) in 2018, Dedi began helping farmers in the suburbs of Sukabumi city open their eyes to view agriculture beyond excellent seeds: The natural components of soil quality and microorganisms needed to be taken into consideration.

"Farmers must know how to apply fertilizer, because there are proper doses. Regardless of whether the fertilizer is organic or chemical, excessive use can harm the soil. Hence, the right composition is necessary for the farmers to enjoy the benefits," said Dedi.

The results of the method have been satisfying. This year’s harvest has increased threefold. "The village’s serrano chilies harvest, which used to be just 5 tons per hectare, has increased to 15 tons per hectare," he said.

Changing the farmers\' mindset has been challenging. Given the educational level of the farmers in Sukajaya village, Dedi used layman’s terms to explain the complicated science. Scientific terms cannot be used to explain soil improvement, because the farmers find such terms difficult to understand. "Therefore, we put it into direct practice and then they can proceed," he said.

KOMPAS/MACHRADIN WAHYUDI RITONGA

Dedi Setiawan Hariyanto

Market access

Sukajaya’s farmers have also been advised to grow other high-value commodities aside from onions and chilies. The horticultural crops they grow now include Caribbean melons, edamame beans and hydroponic vegetables.

The idea grew out of the marketing channel that BUMDes Sukajaya established. The business entity is a trusted supplier of organic vegetables and other premium agricultural products to several supermarkets in Bogor, Bandung and Jakarta.

Gaining the trust of retailers is no easy feat. The village administration and Ati Nurhayati, director of BUMDes Terus Jaya Sehati, are the engines driving the BUMDes’ market development efforts. She has been through many ups and downs to keep the BUMDes running.

Ati\'s dedication to the BUMDes was evident from the outset. Not infrequently, she sacrifices her personal time to take care of the enterprise, which were expected to empower the people of Sukajaya. In fact, when the BUMDes started operating in 2016, she mortgaged her house so it could start selling gas for household use.

The BUMDes sells up to 2,000 canisters of subsidized gas per month, and the villagers’ demand for subsidized gas has maintained the BUMDes’s gas business.

"The budget had not been disbursed at the time, when the gas supplier was ready to send the gas canisters. So yes, I decided to mortgage my house. It\'s all right, since it can be reclaimed. The important thing is that the BUMDes needed cash flow," she said.

Her move yielded positive results. The subsidized household gas always sells out. The BUMDes sells up to 2,000 canisters of subsidized gas per month, and the villagers’ demand for subsidized gas has maintained the BUMDes’s gas business.

When the budget was finally disbursed, it was used to start another business unit to expand beyond purchasing and selling subsidized gas to rural households: it opened a mini fuel station that is supplied by state-owned gas holding company Pertamina. A minimarket was also built so that residents on the outskirts could shop for their daily needs without having to go into town.

"We always hoped that the people of Sukajaya would not need to leave the village to meet their daily needs. It is enough for them to visit the BUMDes, and the income doesn’t flow away from the village," she said.

Innovative farmers

Ati expressed her hope that Sukajaya would grow into an independent village that could be a model for nearby villages. Born and raised in Sukajaya, Ati believed that the village was one of the least developed in West Java, although it was located less than 5 kilometers from the Sukabumi city center.

Organic farms were attractive to visitors, with their environmentally friendly agriculture and direct sales of high-quality vegetables and fruits.

Ati said that empowering farmers was the key to improving the standard of living in Sukajaya village. Most of the village’s farmers lived below the poverty line, so she tried to find opportunities for marketing and distributing their agricultural products. Together with Dedi, Ati ensured that the quality of Sukajaya’s agricultural products was sufficient for distributing to premium markets, thereby increasing their sales value.

Not stopping there, Ati and other BUMDes employees are planning to turn the village’s farms into an agritourism destination by 2020. According to Ati, organic farms were attractive to visitors, with their environmentally friendly agriculture and direct sales of high-quality vegetables and fruits.

Bahtari, 57, a farmer who has been helped by the BUMDes, said that the knowledge he gained from Dedi was helpful. Aside from soil preparation, he learned about how to maximize production by utilizing the available land.

"I gained knowledge, one that is complete, from Pak Dedi. So [now] I know how to farm well. The BUMDes also opened the market, so we no longer worry about where to sell our products," said Bahtari.

For Ati and Dedi, Sukajaya village’s development rests in the hands of hundreds of smart farmers and community elements. With their efforts, Sukajaya is taking steps towards economic independence through organic agriculture.

Dedi Setiawan Hariyanto

Born: Sukabumi, 6 Dec. 1966

Education: Bachelor in agriculture, STIPER Yogyakarta (Class of 1990)

KOMPAS/MACHRADIN WAHYUDI RITONGA

Dedi Setiawan Hariyanto

Ati Nurhayati

Born: Sukabumi, 11 July 1977

Education: SMEA Pasundan senior high school, Sukabumi (Class of 1995)