Family Labor Productivity in Integrated Corn-Beef Cattle Farming: Evidence from Smallholder Farms in Malang, Indonesia Ananda Surya Fifinda (a*), Nanang Febrianto (b), Eko Nugroho (b)
(a)Master in Animal Science Study Program, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang 65145, East Java, Indonesia. *anandasurya[at]student.ub.ac.id
(b)Department of Socio-Economic, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang 65145, East Java, Indonesia.
Abstract
Integrated crop-livestock farming can improve resource-use efficiency and strengthen the economic sustainability of smallholder farming- however, its performance also depends on the efficient allocation of family labor across crop and livestock activities. This study evaluated family labor productivity and its associated factors in integrated corn-beef cattle farming in Wonoayu Village, Malang Regency, Indonesia. A case-study approach was employed from September to October 2025 involving 30 members of the Wonokoyo Livestock Farmer Group selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Eligible respondents owned 1-7 cattle, cultivated corn, and had at least three years of experience in integrated farming. Family labor productivity was calculated from farm income relative to family labor input, while associated factors were examined using multiple linear regression. Farmers allocated an average of 17.77 person-days per month to the integrated system, comprising 14.17 person-days for beef cattle and 3.60 person-days for corn production. Mean monthly farm income was IDR 4.14 million, corresponding to family labor productivity of IDR 233,076.55 per person-day. The regression model explained 91.1% of the variation in labor productivity. Income was positively associated with productivity (B = 0.711), whereas family labor input showed a negative association (B = −-0.622). These findings highlight the importance of improving labor allocation and farm management to enhance the economic performance of smallholder integrated crop-livestock systems
