Land Optimization as a Surviving Strategy of Farmers Family in Narrow Lands

Abstract

Land is the main asset of farming which tends to be narrower so that it affects the production system and decreases farm income. Therefore we need a farming system to optimize land use through polyculture farming. This study aims to determine the pattern of polyculture and commodity choices for land optimization, to identify sources of income as a survival strategy in narrow land, to determine the structure of income and its contribution to the income of farmers and farmer households and to determine the relationship between the structure of income, expenditure and welfare of farmer families.

The research method used quantitative methods through a survey in Cibalong District, Tasikmalaya Regency, West Java Province. Primary and secondary data were collected through observation and interviews with the help of questionnaires. The population of the study was the farmers who did the polyculture farming based on random results determined in the villages of Setiawaras and Parung totaling 5,938 people. The sample used cluster sampling technique as many as 167 farmers, who were analyzed descriptively and the analysisof the income structure and NTPRP. The research was conducted from July to September 2020. The results showed that the optimization of land with a polyculture pattern was carried out by farmers by cultivating different plant combinations, there were 92 polyculture cropping patterns from 167 farmers and almost all polycultural patterns cultivated tree / wood crops with other plants including the livestock business known as agroforestry. Polyculture farming is a multi-commodity and multi-product farming because crop yields vary and can be harvested simultaneously or sequentially to meet subsistence needs, social and commercial interests, including environmental services, so as to provide variability, continuity and stability of farmer income. Farming income (agriculture and livestock sub-sector) and non-farming contributed to farmers' income by 79.17% (40.99% agriculture sub-sector and 38.18% livestock) and 20.83%. Farmers' household income contributed 73.79% (agriculture sub-sector 38.00%, livestock 35.39%) and 19.31%. The income of family members contributes 7.30% to the household income of farmers. The average farmer family is in the prosperous category, NTPRTP (1.19> 1) which means that it has a surplus of income so that it is able to meet all its expenses, both for food and non-food consumption.