The challenges of lowland rice food farmers in Lebak Regency, Banten have increased their income due to the increase in the price of wet unhusked rice to IDR 5,500/kilogram at the middleman or middleman level. "The harvest in early January 2023 will be collected by middlemen for wet unhusked rice at IDR 5,500/kg," said the head of the Sukabungah Farmers Group, Tambakbaya Village, Lebak Regency, Ruhyana in a statement at Lebak, Sunday. Farmers in Lebak Regency were fortunate to produce paddy rice because the price of rice in the market had increased. Currently, he said, the price of wet unhusked rice is being accommodated by middlemen at a price of IDR 5. 500/kg and if the average production is six tons/hectare, the farmer's income is IDR 33 million. From the IDR 33 million income, the production costs IDR 10 million, so that the farmers reap a profit of IDR 23 million/hectare. "I think the profit of paddy rice farmers for three months Rp. 23 million will ensure that their lives will be more prosperous," he explained. According to him, currently rice farmers in his area are quite prosperous with a net profit of IDR 23 million/hectare.

Search instead for explain. According to him, currently rice farmers in his area are quite prosperous with a net profit of IDR 23 million/hectare. The area of rice fields in his area is 200 hectares with 150 farmer members and three harvests a year. So that the profits of farmers have reached 69 million with an area of three hectares. "We hope that the middlemen will absorb the harvest, because Perum Bulog has no longer accommodated it," said Ruhyana. Likewise, the Chairperson of the Kebon Tiwu Farmers Group, Cipanas District, Lebak H Endang Regency, admitted that currently the life of paddy rice farmers is more prosperous and from the harvest they can build houses. to buying land and financing children up to university.

Currently, the middlemen collect the harvest from paddy rice in the form of wet unhusked rice Rp. 5. 500/kg. The area of rice fields in its territory is over 200 hectares with 175 members."We are greatly helped by middlemen by accommodating relatively good prices," said Endang.Head of the Lebak District Agriculture Office, Rahmat, said that his party continues to encourage farmers to increase cropping rates to meet farmers' food and economic needs
In addition, farmers who have already harvested should accelerate planting, especially now that rainfall tends to increase So far, the business of lowland rice farmers has prospered because market demand is quite high, and rice production has even been supplied to Jakarta and Bogor. "We appreciate food production in 2022 with a 12-month surplus," he said.

Source: https://metrobanten.co.id/pendapatan-petani-padi-di-kabupaten-lebak-alami-peningkatan/