Rush Farming of Konjac (Amorphophallus Muelleri) Among Novice Farmers In West Java, Indonesia: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Rush farming among novice farmers because of incomplete information on konjac crop management needs further investigation. Nonetheless, the rush in West Java province has positively impacted farmers and rural economic improvement. This study is intended to identify the factors responsible for the farming of konjac, its implications, and the necessary response. The survey was conducted in Jelegong, Ciamis district, West Java province, using the triangulation method to interview 37 farmers. The finding is that rush farming was triggered by the misinterpretation of incomplete information on farming technology and the inaccurate projection of market demand due to excessive forecasting of profits. This rush is probably a phenomenon that is supposed to be maintained carefully because such farming still provides additional income and does not require specific skills. The rush also successfully attracted the interest of new investors and government attention in distributing various incentives. Despite the rush stimulating economic growth in the village, it threatens the supply of other commodities because konjac has replaced other crops on the same land. This research also found that there are two types of konjac farming in rural society, i.e., (i) cultivating konjac without shade is better suited to smallholder farmers with less capital and less maintenance. (ii) cultivating konjac in the shade is better suited to rich farmers or industries requiring intensive maintenance. Therefore, we suggest that the government issue a map about the site suitability of various crops for the West Java region, allowing farmers to seek advice on the appropriate crop types to grow by region. Because the agro-climatic conditions in most areas of West Java are like those in the Ciamis district, the cultural patterns found in this study can be scaled up to other districts in West Java.