Anton Supriyono used the experience he gained from working at an agricultural company in the neighboring country to develop modern agricultural systems in several regions of Indonesia,including his hometown.
By
Wilibrordus Megandika Wicaksono
·5 minutes read
KOMPAS/WILIBRORDUS MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO
Anton Supriyono
After seven years in Malaysia as a migrant worker, Anton Supriyono, 41, decided to return to his hometown of Banyumas in Central Java. He used the experience he gained from working at an agricultural company in the neighboring country to develop modern agricultural systems in several regions of Indonesia, including his hometown.
"Most young people nowadays are not aware of agriculture technology. They aren’t willing to look at agriculture. The impression [among them] is that it’s dirty. They have to deal with cow manure. I want to introduce ‘clean’ agriculture,” Anton said on Saturday (22/8/2020) in the greenhouse at CV Makhdum Wangi\'s melon farm in Pageraji village, Cilongok district, Banyumas.
Anton and his partners cultivate Korean melons, also known as oriental melons, and the Taiwan rock melon (golden aroma melon) on 2,000 square meters of land. There are two greenhouses, each of which has around 3,000 melon plants arranged in neat rows. The leaves are bright green and the fruit is cream with white veins.
The greenhouses, which are called “rumah kaca” (glass house) in Indonesian, are made of bamboo frames, UV-resistant plastic sheeting and nets for their walls to keep insects out. They are fitted with a drip irrigation system. Anton spent around Rp 250 million to Rp 300 million to build each greenhouse.
"They can last up to five years," he said.
At first, the people in Anton\'s village did not believe that melons could grow inside such a structure. However, Anton was able to change their minds. "Since August 2019, I have produced four harvests," he said.
He earns Rp 84 million per harvest from the Korean melons alone, whereas the Taiwan melons generate Rp 90 million per harvest. His harvest yield is 3,000 melons for each species.
According to Anton, melon plants produce better yields in a greenhouse than from open field cultivation. The potential for plant damage in a greenhouse is around 10 percent, while it is 30 percent on open fields.
Reaching out to youth
I learned while [doing]. Everything [I learned], I’ve applied in my village
Anton has been looking to run his own business for a long time. He once opened a repair shop, but it didn\'t succeed. Then in 2009, he went and tried his luck in the Cameron Highlands of
Pahang, Malaysia. He and his wife worked for a plantation company there, where he learned about drip irrigation, which is efficient in saving both water and labor.
In addition, he learned how to manage a greenhouse and a hydroponic farm, and about the various nutritional needs of plants. "I learned while [doing]. Everything [I learned], I’ve applied in my village,” said Anton, who has also created a social media network of fellow agriculture enthusiasts and investors in Indonesia.
Anton returned to Indonesia in 2016 and quickly arranged meetings with investors through his network. He began to cultivate capsicums using modern agricultural techniques in Bandungan, Semarang. From Bandungan, he moved to Bali and grew various types of vegetables. After a year, he returned to Central Java, this time to Semarang, and started growing melons. He also spent one year developing melon farms in Bekasi and Batu.
Anton then decided to return to Cilongok, Banyumas, to develop a melon farm. At the same time, he monitored the development of melon farms in Lembang, West Java. Back in his village, Anton worked with youth to urge them to get involved in agriculture. Through local youth organizations and cooperatives, he trained the village youth to understand the basics of agriculture, from fertilizers, nurseries and planting to postharvest management.
He formed the Daun Hijau (green leaf) team of 18 twentysomethings from Cilongok, Wangon, Kebumen and Cilacap. The Daun Hijau has been deployed to a number of locations to start greenhouse farms.
I want to develop human resources in the agricultural sector by cooperating with youth groups.
"I want these young men to be able to farm. I want to develop human resources in the agricultural sector by cooperating with youth groups. I want unused village lands to be used for agriculture," said Anton.
Sigit Priyoko, 33, of Karang Taruna Tekad Semada (KTTS) IV, a working group for developing a productive agricultural economy in Cilongok village and one of the groups Anton is mentoring, said that five members of the group received agricultural training. The KTTS IV cultivates seedless watermelons on village-owned land that they lease for Rp 3 million per year.
"Our members come from different backgrounds. I myself work as a private driver. Some are welders and others are daily laborers,” Sigit said.
Sigit continued that the group initially planted beans, but it took more than three months to reach harvest. Under Anton\'s guidance, they switched to cultivating watermelons, which can be harvested in around 65 days, or about two months.
"We were trained in basic fertilization, calculating capital and production costs, seed nurseries to postharvest [management]," said Sigit.
Visitors can come to Anton’s CV Makhdum Wangi greenhouse to learn or just to buy melons. It is also the location for students from a number of vocational schools and universities to conduct their field studies. The activity is encouraging more and more young people to become farmers.
The greenhouse farming and drip irrigation systems that Anton introduced have been a breakthrough in optimizing harvest yields. Through his example, he has encouraged youths to return to farming. Anton\'s modern agricultural methods have gone viral to bring the goal of farmer regeneration within reach.
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