Corn farming analysis in Babar Island, District of Babar Islands, Southwest Maluku Regency

Abstract

Babar Island is corn production center in District of Babar Islands. Maize is the dominant food commodities and a major food source for the community. Corn is the dominant crop commodity in Barbar Island and become staple food for the community. The farming are traditional and subsystems to meet farmers household needs and the excess (if any) will be sold but in very limited quantities. However the sales purpose is not commercial but just to meet the households needs that can not be substituted by other goods and only by few farmers if necessary. The farming is carried out on slash and burn dry land by polyculture cropping pattern that is combination of annual and perrenial crops. This study aimed to examine the feasibility and profitability of corn farming in Barbar island, using survey methods with stratified random sampling technique. The results showed that the cost of corn production in Barbar Island, district of Barbar Islands, South West Maluku Regency is consisted of fixed cost and variable cost. The fixed cost components is including : equipment depreciation costs and land rent costs. The variable costs includes : inputs costs (seeds, fertilizers, chemical) and labor costs. Variable costs is the largest cost component for corn farming. Corn farming is profitable and viable, as indicated by the average income Rp.2.647.396 compared to the average cost incurred by farmers Rp.2.520.934 and BC ratio of 1.05. This means that the production costs of Rp.2.520.934 will generate benefit 1.05 times of the cost.