Sustainable Livelihood Asset-Based Strategy for Rosella Farmers in Pagung Village, Semen District, Kediri Regency
4.1. Characteristics of Sustainable Livelihood Assets for Rosella Farmers in
Pagung Village, Semen District, Kediri Regency
Livelihood assets are a collection of several assets used by farmers in order to make a living. Asset in livelihoods includes social Asset, human asset, natural asset, physical asset and financial asset (Hahn et al., 2009). On the other hand, the sustainable livelihoods approach seeks to see and describe the extent to which assets can be accessed by farmers based on some of the asset above. The results of asset characteristics that can be accessed by farmers based on their level of vulnerability are as follows:
Table 2. Characteristics of Rosella Farmer Assets Livelihood
Asset
LVI value
Value Interpretation Social Asset 0.33 Vulnerable Human Asset 0.51 Quite Vulnerable Physical Asset 0.44 Quite Vulnerable Natural Asset 0.34 Quite Vulnerable Financial Asset 0.42 Quite Vulnerable Source: Primary Data Processed (2022) and Adopted (Agustin, 2017; DFID, 2000; Rayhan &
Sumarti, 2021; Saraswati & Dharmawan, 2014;
Scoones, 1998) a. Social Asset
Social asset is the emergence of community organizations such as trust, norms, and networks that can advance society by facilitating coordination and cooperation for various benefits (Gai, Poerwati, Maghfirah, &
Sir, 2020). Social Asset is closely related to the structure and process of transformation. Social Asset is helpful in understanding the products of these structures and processes, although it may simplify the relationship between the two. The results of the calculation of social Asset can be seen as follows:
Social capital vulnerabilities need to be considered in the sub-indicator of assistance from the government. Rosella farmers in the majority receive assistance from the government.
Assistance from the government in the form of cash and basic necessities in carrying out daily activities, so that Rosella's income can be allocated to other things in developing the farm.
Available online at HABITAT website: http://www.habitat.ub.ac.id Table 3. Social Asset Index
No Indicator Value
1 Daily life support 0.26
2 Government assistance 0.13
3 Help from brother 0.72
4 Organizational participation 0.30
5 Job information 0.50
6 Organizational conflict 0.42 Source: Primary Data Processed (2022) and Adopted from (Abita, 2016; Hahn et al., 2009;
Liu, Chen, & Xie, 2018; UNDP, 2017).
Receipt of assistance from the government was triggered by fluctuations in the price of rosella commodities so that it had an impact on the income level of rosella farmers. This is in line with the research of Darwis et al.(2020), the COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on monthly fluctuations in agricultural commodity prices.
Social capital in the form of assistance from the government is generally given during the COVID-19 pandemic where there are restrictions on community mobility, especially hampering the distribution process of agricultural commodities.
One of the commodities affected by the restriction on the mobility of residents is rosella.
The dependence on the commodity distribution process is caused by the delay in the transaction process from middlemen to final consumers.
Therefore, the existence of Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB) has an impact on limiting the distribution flow of agricultural commodities, especially in supply chain disruptions, thereby weakening people's purchasing power and consumption. This causes some rosella commodities not to be absorbed by the market through wholesaler.
b. Human Asset
Human asset exists as a form of sustainable livelihoods that can affect livelihoods. Where, human Asset consists of abilities, skills, work experience and a good level of health and allows the community to design sustainable livelihood strategies in order to achieve their goals. At the household level, human Asset is an important factor that determines the quantity and quality of labor (UNDP, 2017).
Members of rosella farmers' sub-capital, rosella farmers' sub-capital, has lower-skilled qualities. The low skill level of rosella farmers is due to a lack of skill, which results in suboptimal
farming results. Several factors contribute to this, including the farmer's age, the amount of time he has been farming, and his degree of education.
Furthermore, the agriculture department continues to provide insufficient guidance and counseling.
Table 4. Human Asset Index
No Indicator Value
1 Level of education 0.55
2 Skill level 0.28
3 Health insurance 0.58
4 Rosella farmer member 0.69
5 Health status 0.44
Source: Primary Data Processed (2022) and Adopted from (DfID, 2011; The World Bank, 1997; UNDP, 2017).
This is in line with Mirnatul's research (2017), that communication between farmers and extension workers is expected to be able to attract interest and the application of the material can run well.
In prior eras, there has been a lack of direction from agricultural service extension employees. Furthermore, the community's participation in these activities is reduced.
Despite the fact that these events are typically held at people' homes, village halls and farmers are welcomed to the agriculture office directly.
The pattern of delivering material from extension workers who are still minimal about rosella from harvest to post-harvest has an impact on the limited knowledge of farmers in farming. The field situation above is in accordance with the Bahua reference (2014), the extension carried out is expected to increase interaction, add information and form a network of farmers so as to increase their income. Awareness between the knowledge interests of farmers and extension workers must be used as a source of strength and it is hoped that farmers can overcome all their problems and be able to manage their livelihoods in a sustainable manner.
c. Physical Asset
Physical asset consists of basic infrastructure and production goods needed to support livelihoods. Infrastructure sees environmental changes that affect communication and access to basic services (DfID, 2011). Infrastructure consists of changes in the physical environment that help people meet their primary needs and become more productive.
Available online at HABITAT website: http://www.habitat.ub.ac.id Table 5. Physical Asset Index
No Indicator Value
1 Market access 0.41
2 Type of residence 0.20
3 Farm animal ownership 0.62
4 Kitchen fuel 0.54
Source: Primary Data Processed (2022) and Adopted from (Martopo et al., 2012; UNDP, 2017).
Rosella farmers, on average, also works as cattle and goat breeders. Farmers in rosella have at least one cow or goat. The lack of animal ownership will undoubtedly have an influence on rosella farmers' ability to meet their daily demands. When compared to the increasing demands of life and family duties, animal ownership will inevitably dwindle. Rosella farmers' livestock is typically inherited from their forefathers and is bred and sold as needed. In addition, when the price of rosella reached its highest price of around 100,000 rupiahs in 2010- 2012, some of them even served as wholesaler by buying dried rosella from neighbors to resell by selling their livestock. However, some orders of dried rosella were not paid so that they suffered losses. The existence of livestock ownership is expected to be able to support farmers' livelihoods and become a better financial cushion from time to time (UNDP, 2017).
d. Natural Asset
Natural asset describes the ownership or common control over natural resources such as climate, soil fertility, and water resources as production Asset. This varies from one region to another, both in terms of availability and characteristics, to form community livelihood patterns (Wijayanti et al., 2016).
Table 6. Natural Asset Index
No Indicator Value
1 Pest and disease attack 0.12
2 Land area 0.52
3 Farm yield index 0.40
Source: Primary Data Processed (2022) and Adopted from (Alinovi, D’Errico, Mane, &
Romano, 2010; UNDP, 2017).
Pest and disease attacks that occur in rosella plants actually have a significant impact.
This is caused by mealybugs that attack rosella during the vegetative period so that it inhibits growth and kills rosella plants. Damage to rosella
plants due to mealybugs is generally on the stems, leaves and fruit of rosella. The higher the number of mealybugs, the lower the quality of the rosella plant (Sari, Senoaji, & Hery, 2007).
Damage to rosella occurs on land that is monoculture, this is due to the absence of barriers or other types of food other than rosella. The attack process on mealybugs occurs when the rainy season arrives, which will attack and directly suck the liquid from the leaves of the chili plant so that it damages the cells and leaf tissue.
The impact of pest and disease attacks can change the order of society that originally relied on full rosella cultivation, into lazy behavior.
Price fluctuations are a contributing factor, for example, fields planted with rosella to have an attack of mealybug pests or fusarium leaf wilt they will allow the plant to die slowly or not to harvest agricultural products. Economically, this is obviously very detrimental to rosella farmers because their income will actually be reduced from the results obtained. Overall sustainability livelihoods can be disrupted if farmers continually ignore the quantity of crops from other rosella crops. Rosella farmers need to think about sustainable, efficient and targeted livelihood strategies in maintaining these commodities as centers.
e. Financial Asset
Financial asset is all financial resources that can be utilized and used by the community in achieving a livelihood. Financial Asset consists of publicly held private reserves or stocks as well as financial institutions and regular flows of funds (DfID, 2011).
Table 7. Financial Asset Index
No Indicator Value
1 Income level 0.56
2 Loan access 0.27
Source: Primary Data Processed (2022) and Adopted from (DfID, 2011; UNDP, 2017).
Rosella commodity is not the main commodity to support farmers' livelihoods.
However, there are commodities of rice, corn, organic rice and others that are cultivated. The findings of this study are in line with research (Warman & Kristiana, 2009), that the systematics of intercropping cultivation is expected to be able to maximize land area and increase income and increase agricultural land productivity.
Available online at HABITAT website: http://www.habitat.ub.ac.id The income level of respondents from
rosella farming is quite vulnerable and is classified as below the Regional Minimum Wage (UMR) in the region which is above 2,000,000.
With a low level of farm income, farmer households will maximize their income by combining their activities (Karolina, Bakce, &
Yusri, 2016). In fact, the income that respondents have is not only from rosella plants as a leading commodity in Semen District, Kediri Regency.
However, there are several extra vocations that can supplement their income, such as porang farmers, turmeric growers, builders, and carpenters. Earning additional household money is a typical occurrence. This demonstrates the range of household income sources. Farmer household income is derived from a variety of sources that fluctuate with the seasons, labor markets, and family members' daily free time.