Improving Communities’ Resilience through Livelihood Recovery
On Sept 28, 2018, series of strong earthquakes struck Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, including a 7,4 magnitudes earthquake. ICCO together with PENABULU ...
Consumer spending for urban dwelling Indonesians on fresh horticultural products compared to rice increased from 50% in 1994 to 100% in 2007. Nevertheless, Indonesian per capita consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables is still below the recommended level set by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The growing trend on increasing consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables as the positive health effects become more apparent indicate a promising market for both local and foreign producers. However, the country’s reliance on imports highlights the declining competitiveness of Indonesia’s domestic horticulture sector. The sector needs to reduce its reliance on imports to be able to take advantage of this growing demand.
Chili, tomato and cucumbers are among the main vegetable products of Indonesia and are important sources of farmers’ income. In recent years, vegetable farmers in Indonesia have been highly affected by changes in climate, weather patterns and availability of water. Additionally, many farmers lack market access and information, as well as technical support services for vegetable farmers which, in combination, have resulted in the inconsistent quality of vegetables produced.
With Indonesia’s steadily growing population, the government is aiming to achieve food self-sufficiency through improved farming techniques by promoting climate-smart agriculture, efficient use of inputs and increasing the knowledge of farmers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
This project aims to provide a financially sustainable information service that supports 100,000 vegetable farmers increase their production, income, food security and reduce inputs of water, fertilizers and pesticides in 3 Indonesian provinces and 14 regencies. There are THREE information services that will be provided:
1. Crop Calendar via SMS – recommendations for vegetable farmers on what type of vegetable to plant and when to plant it – addressing issue of inconsistent use of crop plan due to climate change
2. Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) advice via Mobile App – recommendations for site-specific practices on: site selection/management, seed selection, pest and animal control (pest/disease diagnosis and treatment)
3. Market information via SMS and Mobile App – SMARTseeds market information provides up-to-date information on buying price for vegetables and vegetables available (type, volume and quality) in each area for selling.