Increasing income and farming management: Empowering survivor farmers in reducing the impact of Covid-19

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on the agricultural sector in Central Sulawesi, which had previously been a victim of the earthquake, tsunami, and liquefaction that occurred on September 28, 2018. Facing this condition, the program to empower local shallot farmers in Palu, Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi Province through the Jama'ah Tani Muhammadiyah (JATAM) group is very strategic. The income of local shallot farmers in Palu before and after the empowerment program and farm management studies during the Covid-19 pandemic was carried out using in-depth observation and interview techniques. In addition, Income Analysis was conducted to calculate the difference in farmers' income before and after empowerment. The results showed an increase in farmers' income after joining the JATAM group from an initial income of IDR. 10.304.500, - to IDR. 15,041,000,-. Furthermore, farming management, which includes aspects of land management, nurseries, planting, fertilizing, maintenance, harvesting and post-harvest to marketing and processing harvests into processed food products, namely Palu fried onions, has been carried out based on agribusiness management. Agribusiness management includes the functions of planning, organizing, implementing to monitoring. Empowerment activities consist of synergistic and comprehensive counseling, training and assistance aspects of production, marketing to agribusiness-based processing and mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic.