Development of Highland Vegetable Commodity Areas Through Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) Analysis and Geographic Information Systems

Abstract

The highlands in Central Java have a major contribution to meet the national demand for vegetables. However, competition for these lands by non-agricultural sectors or for the production of other agricultural commodities could lead to a decline in vegetable production. The research aimed to spatially analyze the land suitability and availability for highland vegetable commodities. It also aimed to analyze the land potential for the development of vegetable commodity areas. The research was carried out in Banjarnegara and Wonosobo Regencies, at an altitude of more than 700 meters above sea level, from July to December 2020. The methodology used was Multi-Criteria Decision Making with Analytical Hierarchy Process structure and map overlay, using ArcGIS ver. 10.5. The results showed that land which is suitable for the highland vegetable commodities was at 33.52%, it was dominated by a class of moderately suitable (S2). Furthermore, the suitable and available land for vegetable cultivation covers an area of 16.03 %. Finally, there were 9,911.2 hectares of land that had not been optimally used and had the potential to become a development area for highland vegetable commodities in the future.