Good News from Within Hand Grips

KOMPAS/ SAMUEL OKTORA

Chairperson of the Panggupay Farmers Group Ulus Pirmawan (right) checks broccoli to be sent to a number of traditional markets, as well as to the warehouse of an online company, Sayurbox, in Suntenjaya village, Lembang district, West Bandung regency, West Java, Monday (19/8/2019).

The advent of the digital era is inevitable. For those capable of adaptation, the digital ecosystem offers the opportunity for changes with major impacts, also for village people. From within hand grips, the future is anticipated.

The nimble hands of farmers in the office of the Joint Farmer Group (Gapoktan) of Wargi Panggupay in Suntenjaya, Lembang district, West Bandung, West Java, seemed unable to stop working on Monday (August 19, 2019). Various kinds of chili and broccoli on order were packed in special plastics and made ready for delivery to several regions.

Gapoktan Wargi Panggupay Chairman Ulus Pirmawan (45) was there to make sure the process ran smoothly and flawlessly that noon. His mobile phone suddenly rang, customers in West Sumatra and Pangkal Pinang contacted.

He hurried to a vegetable plantation 1 kilometer from the Gapoktan office. Agus Sopian (25), a farmer entrusted by Ulus, was harvesting broccoli along with 15 others there. “Is the vegetable ordered ready?” asked Ulus. “It’s ready, Pak,” replied Agus, showing the broccoli.

Agus is one of the young farmers serving Ulus, a primary school graduate who was named a national model farmer on the 2017 International Food Day. Failing several times, Ulus kept rising again. He reached his peak by introducing baby green beans, a prized commodity of Suntenjaya farmers. This vegetable has been a hit in Europe over the last few years.

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

A sugar palm farmer harvests palm sap in Gelaranyar village, Cianjur regency, West Java, Saturday (17/8/2019). Thanks to the internet, the palm sugar from the village is marketed by BUMDes, a company belonging to the village, through social media to attract buyers from outside the area, such as Bandung, Bekasi and Sumedang.

Ucun Suntana (42), a Suntenjaya farmer, said Ulus had trained him and other farmers on progressive thinking. Five years ago he was only a farm laborer. Now, working with other farmers, Ucun has managed to make his vegetables penetrate the export market.

As an accomplished farmer, Ulus is unwilling to be complacent. He has eyed the advancement of digital technology. Among others, he has become a partner of the Sayurbox pilot business since last year. The outcome is remarkable.

“Now we only need to wait for orders via the order application and then we deliver the commodity. Previously we had to take the vegetables to the market with a great deal of speculation, feeling anxious if the commodity would sell or not,” said Ulus.

Today the price is also stable. Broccoli, for instance, can be sold by farmers like Agus at Rp 10,000 per kilogram or four times as high as the price when it was conventionally marketed. The price of cauliflower is also high, reaching Rp 3,000 per kilogram, up by half.

Digital marketing has increased Agus’ turnover. While previously it totaled Rp 5 million per day, now it has risen to Rp 15 million daily.

Sayurbox Sourcing Supervisor Arsat said the business wanted to serve as a bridge for farmers and at the same time be a consumer of quality vegetables. Sayurbox orders 2 tons daily to meet orders placed by thousands of customers in Jakarta and its surrounding areas.

KOMPAS/SAMUEL OKTORA

A worker sorts chilies to be sent to a number of regions, as well as to the warehouse of an online company, Sayurbox, at the Panggupay Farmers Group Joint Secretariat, Suntenjaya village, Lembang district, West Bandung regency, West Java, Monday (19/8/2019).

By considerably reducing the number of entities in the supply chain, farmers gain greater benefits. Traders are pleased because the vegetables arrive fresh. “Farmers can concentrate on the best way of farming without having to think about selling,” said Arsat.

Greater self-confidence

At present, Sayurbox has 5,100 farmers as partners in Lambang district. Warehouses are available for storage there. “Our target is to secure 5,000 orders daily through December 2019,” Arsat said.

Farmers hope to have more pilot businesses in partnership with them. In this way, there will be a higher absorption of demand and competition to emerge as the best.

Still in West Java, an aura of joy is apparent among residents of Gelaranyar village, Pagelaran district, Cianjur regency. They have been empowered by launching promotions via Instagram, Facebook and Twitter over the last 1.5 years.

They began with palm sugar. For years, the residents’ product brought profits to middlemen. However, with training in palm sugar powder making and managerial improvement of the Village Owned Enterprise (BUMDes) initiated by village youth figures, traditional farmer life has changed. Their product sells at a higher price and their output increases, as enjoyed among others by the couple Opan (45) and Uyun (40).

In a week, they can produce 56 kilograms of palm sugar, equivalent to at least Rp 616,000 per week or Rp 2.46 million per month. The amount is above the Cianjur regency minimum wage (UMK) of 2019, which is Rp 2.3 million per month. Before the training and presence of BUMDes, their maximum income was Rp 1.1 million per month.

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

A resident of Gelaranyar village, Cianjur regency, West Java, processes palm juice into palm sugar on Saturday (17/8/2019). Thanks to the internet, the palm sugar from the village is marketed by BUMDes, a company belonging to the village, through social media to attract buyers from outside the area, such as Bandung, Bekasi and Sumedang.

“After thinking it over, it’s more comfortable to earn a living in the village. What’s more, with the BUMDes, farmers’ palm sugar is bought at a high price. This greatly helps the finances of residents,” said Uyun, who cancelled her return to Saudi Arabia. During 2003-2006 she worked in Saudi Arabia with her pay equivalent to Rp 1.6 million per month.

Uyun was one of around 45 village residents receiving training in palm sugar powder processing from the Ministry of Manpower in 2017.

Gelaranyar Village Head Jenal (36) said the internet had facilitated the marketing of village agricultural and plantation products. “Market coverage is further expanding. The village economy is thus uplifted,” he pointed out.

The residents’ paradigm is changing. The impact is a decreasing number of workers migrating from the village. In 2017, about 150 Indonesian migrant workers were still listed from this village. Today the total is less than 50.

Not all villages have changed yet, in fact. But it’s just a matter of time. The national internet network will be realized in 2020/2021. It’s now the time to intensify digital literacy, by which various types of information and communication can be accessed via smart phones.

This is among the community service assignment (KKN) programs, like the one launched by Gadjah Mada University in 2019 sending 5,372 students to 32 provinces. The younger generation participates in the effort to free villages from different disparities.

(Cornelius Helmy and Tatang Sinaga)