Benefits of farmers' cooperative to rice farming activity: Case of Subak's cooperative in Guama, Tabanan District, Bali province

Abstract

Food security is one of the issues in the countries including Indonesia. The increased productivity should be taken by farmers through the application of technologies recommended. Technologies practices could be managed under the farmers' cooperative, such as subak's cooperative in Bali. The purpose of the study is to describe the farmers' participation in supporting cooperative activities. Cooperative could be a fundamental tool or a pillar of agricultural development to attain food security at farmer level. Farmers as members of cooperative have high participation in supporting cooperative to make products or business activities. Subak's cooperative of Guama could respond to the market demand for production (certified seed) and the needs of farmers on agricultural inputs. Farmers get benefit from the business activity of cooperative in the forms of inputs supply (fertilizer, pesticide, etc.), credit or loan provision; and collective marketing. Cooperative has been successful in providing a profit share to members aside from support the food security through the increased productivity.