Integrated Farming System Model in South Minahasa Regency- North Sulawesi

Abstract

Indonesia's animal protein needs keep increasing. The rate of population increase followed by improvement of standard of living and changes of consumer'staste has changed consumption patterns toward animal protein from livestock.Integrated Farming System (Sistem integrasi tanaman-ternak or SITT), whether plantation crops or feed crops, is a potential alternative which can solve the problem of plantation business, feed crops and even livestock problems. The aim of this study is to investigate integrated farming system in North Sulawesi. Data analysis tool used was Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and linear regression analysis. ANOVA was used to compare income and cost of agricultural business on various types of business. Regression analysis was used to test factors influencing the income of integrated farming system. The result of this study show that integrated farming system which involves food crops in coconuts and cows systems produced higher income than coconuts-cows system, or non-integrated coconut and cows. The recommendation from the study is to optimize coconut farms with food crops and livestock to increase farmers' income. Thus, there should be further study to improve techniques of cultivating food crops between coconut trees, so that coconut and food crops production will increase.