Strategy Formulation of Agricultural Machinery Development for Sustainable Potato Farming in Upland of Central Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Labor reduction in the agricultural sector is an obstacle to increasing potato production. Therefore, agricultural machinery is an alternative to overcome labor shortages. The research aims to evaluate the potential and profitability of implementing agricultural machinery and to formulate specific strategies for developing agricultural machinery in Central Java, Indonesia. The study was conducted in Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java, from September 2021 to April 2022. This study used a farming demonstration (demfarm) that tested the three technology packages, namely with and without agricultural machinery and with existing technology as a control. The research also conducted FGDs regarding internal and external indicators that influence the development of agricultural machinery. The data analysis included the benefit-cost ratio (BCR), MBCR, and SWOT. The results showed that developing agricultural machinery in potato farming is highly profitable, with a BCR of 1.28, making it worth developing. Compared to manual technology, the use of machines gains from two sources: reducing labor costs and increasing production. Technological changes from manual and existing technology to agricultural machinery technology can be carried out in the research area. This technology has great potential to be implemented in other regions with agroecosystems similar to those in Indonesia. The priority policy strategy for developing agricultural machinery to support the sustainability of potato farming in Central Java is the expansion strategy (S-O), namely the application of efficient potato farming technology by optimizing land availability, farmer institutions, and agricultural machinery.

Keywords: AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY, Technological Change, Potato farming, Policy strategy