Profit Variability of Vegetable Farming in the Upper Citarum Watershed, West Java, Indonesia Sri Hery Susilowati (a), Sumaryanto (a), Resty Puspa Perdana (b*), Erwidodo (c), Tahlim Sudaryanto (a), Adang Agustian (a)
(a) Research Center for Behavioral and Circular Economics, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jl Gatot Subroto No 10, Jakarta 10340, Indonesia
(b) Indonesian Center for Socio Economic and Policy Studies, the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, Jl. Tentara Pelajar No.3B, Bogor, 16124, Indonesia, *restypuspa09[at]gmail.com
(c) Research Center for Economics of Industry, Services and Trade, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jl Gatot Subroto No 10, Jakarta 10340, Indonesia
Abstract
Vegetable farming contributes major income to farm households in the upper Citarum watershed. The participation rate of farmers in vegetable farming reaching 55 per cent, indicating that this region^s farming is very intensive. However, land holding of the vegetable farm is very diverse among farmers. The Gini index of land hplding shows a high inequality- vegetable is also planted on a steep slope and is vulnerable to soil erosion. This condition implies low technological efficiency and high risk on production and profit. In addition, vegetable farming is indicated as the cause of soil erosion and sediment increase in the Citarum river. The study aims to analyze the vegetable farming pattern and profit variability in the upper Citarum watershed. The survey was conducted in the Citarum watershed, namely Bandung and West Bandung District. The samples were farmers in the two districts who performed on-farm agriculture activities and randomly selected 499 farm households. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistic from 613 vegetable plots with 276 vegetable farm households out of a total of 499 sample farm households. The Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) was employed to analyze vegetable farming profit distribution. The results show that vegetable farming has a high risk. Farmers have an opportunity to lose large amount of money but also show a high expected profit. Vegetable farming in Bandung District has a higher expected profit than West Bandung. According to dominant commodities planted, the profit variability of tomato and chili is higher than cabbage and potato. Chili has the highest risks- more than 30% of farmers had negative profits. To stabilize farmers incomes, it is necessary to improve farming technology and planting patterns suitable for vegetable farming on upper and steep slope and to increase access to market outlets and agricultural infrastructure in the upper Citarum watershed.
Keywords: Vegetable farming, profit, cumulative distribution function
