indonesian farmer's story
farmer III
Perhaps, one of the hardest things in life is to resist limitations, if life were to be likened to a great wall that soars high into the sky without anyone knowing where the ends are, surely everyone climbs with different circumstances.People who are born rich can climb the wall using safety without having to be afraid to fall. As for the rest are people with limitations, who are trying to climb, but can be blown away and smashed to pieces at any time because they do not have any grip except their own determination.
Raga is a farmer from Imogiri, Yogyakarta Special Region. Capitalizing on luxury goods seedlings on cultivated land, he succeeded in becoming a high-income farmer.
Onion does look small, but the benefits are not half-hearted. Raga turnover from the onion harvest can reach Rp 20 million per month. With such a large income, of course raga can support himself and his family. From the ground, he can build a house.Although so, Raga must work hard to be successful in Farming. That's because Raga is just a man flanked by economic limitations.
Minimal income
Before becoming a farmer, Raga hung his life on a cloud that dragged him out of nowhere. He does not have a steady income or can even be called as unemployed.
Raga has also worked as a pramukantor (office boy) in one of the private companies. The job he did for 2 years. After that, he decided to go out.
For Raga, the income from the job is not satisfactory. His salary is still not able to patch the hole in the family's economy is getting bigger.
Apart from his profession as a preacher, he is looking for another way to be successful. Raga decided to stop looking for a job, but established himself as an entrepreneur in agriculture.In the profile of successful people, you can find figures who only have small capital to start a business, but he has a great spirit. This is reflected in Raga's journey to success.
The man decided to fight with the land and the sun as a farmer. At that time Raga did not have any capital at all, it was just that her in-laws who at that time had the good soil to allow also teach Raga to grow crops.
The view that tends to dwarf the profession of farmers is still attached to the eyes of Raga at that time. Before starting Farming, he thought that the farmer was a tiring job as well as requiring him to befriend with heat and dirty.
Like a spinning wheel, Raga no longer has a negative view of farmers, but others who then have a negative view of him. When Raga started his work as an onion farmer, he found some people who thought that he was too soft and unable to become a farmer, Raga did not view it as bullying or a kind of sentence that made her heart bruise. He made these assumptions as fuel to keep moving forward.
Raga has continued to work since deciding to become an onion farmer in 2016. The process turns out to be a business that produces and can lead it to a better life.
He was no longer a jobless worker swayed by fate. All because of a little seed which he planted in himself: The will to keep trying, though humbled.
Onion became one of the main ingredients of various spices of archipelago cuisine. Starting from households, vegetable traders, to culinary businesses need onions every day.
The high demand turned out to be a business opportunity for Aditya Nugroho (22), a young man from Grobogan, Central Java. Final students majoring in Economics and Environmental Resources, IPB University has been steadily doing profession as an onion farmer.
“Because I see the opportunity, shallots have high economic value and become the most widely used requirement. In addition, because I see most farmers here are old people, it is also an opportunity for me to become a young farmer and I think the farm is an endless business, he said,” Adit said to Sariagri, Friday (13/8).
Adit revealed, at first he planted onions on an area of 8000 square meters and now his arable land has reached 2 hectares.
“At first I managed 8000 meters, now Alhamdulillah already 2 hectares,” he said.
He recounted, to plant red onions on an area of 2 hectares requires capital of around Rp 130 million, he said, and within two months he can get a turnover of around Rp200 – Rp300 million depending on the price applicable at harvest time.
“In the land of 2 hectares I use red onion seedlings as much as 2.5 tons. From there the results can be up to 20 tons of red onions. The lowest onion price at the farmer level usually ranges from Rp 10 thousand and can reach RP 25 thousand if it is expensive,” he explained.
Adit said, the variety of red onions he planted is a local variety of Brebes which according to him has advantages in quality and taste. He also revealed the secret to save the cost of seedling needs by making his own seedlings.
“I also own seedlings, because with own seedlings can press the cost for seedling needs up to more than 50 percent,” he said.
Furthermore, he told, the toughest thing in the cultivation of onions is the control of pests and diseases. According to him, the treatment of plants against disease attacks in onion plants must be more intense than other plants, especially when the rainy season arrives.
“If the rainy season will be a lot of fungal attacks, well must be diligent in spraying and control the humidity of the land,” he explained.
Adit hopes that in the future there will be more and more young people who want to jump directly into being a farmer. He was determined after graduation to continue his profession to become a farmer and expand his arable land. In addition, he also plans to add his type of business to the processing of onions, especially against small-sized onions that have been categorized as reject items.
“If we can manage also the small and the remnants of it so fried onions right then nothing is wasted and can add to the profits. I hope that more and more young people want to be farmers, because on the farm it is very profitable if managed properly,” he concluded.
It is not easy to start a business
People usually only look amazed when someone is successful without seeing the very heavy process that is in his path. The motivation of his life do not feel inferior if you are born perfect. Do not be afraid if you have not tried to continue to go as far as possible until you find a path of success
