Business Prospects for Hydroponic Vegetables in the Midst of The COVID-19 Pandemic : A Case Study on “Indah Berbagi Foundation”

Abstract

The Covid-19 outbreak has occurred and has had a substantial impact on many aspects of public life that are not only a health problem, but also affect the world economy and the environment in various ways. It seems that no country can avoid it and is not affected by its existence, and Indonesia is no exception. The main objective of this study is to determine the economic resilience of the community in dealing with Covid 19 pandemic espesially in hydroponic vegetable business. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with hydroponic activists, documentation and observation conducted during September 2020. The collected data were analyzed through data triangulation. The results show that hydroponic vegetable business developed by Indah Berbagi Foundation has implemented the floating hydroponic method or also known as the Floating Raft method and the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) system. Hydroponic vegetable business was profitable and the technology used compatible with characteristics of areas that have limited land. During the pandemic, the public demand for hydroponic vegetables increased quite high along with the increasing awareness of the public to consume healthy vegetables to maintain endurance, therefore in addition to providing good nutrition for body resistance during a pandemic. Using payback period method, it’s known that the hydroponic vegetable business can provide benefits and fast return on investment so that it is very useful in supporting the economic resilience of the community