PT. Petani Milenial Sleman, together with the Puncak Merapi Horticultural Farmers Association (PPHPM) and Champion Chili Indonesia, is exporting a variety of cayenne pepper to several Asian countries, such as Japan. This export is a way to keep chili prices above the Break Even Point (BEP). The CEO of PT. Petani Milenial Sleman, Isnaini Baroroh, said the exports can prevent farmers from suffering losses due to plummeting chili prices in the market. Therefore, there are plans to expand exports to Middle Eastern countries. Isnaini explained that chili prices had fallen close to the BEP. PT Milenial Sleman then purchased the farmers' chilies above the BEP and sold them abroad. The price per kilogram (kg) of cayenne pepper reached IDR 17,000 - IDR 18,000. "We then bought at IDR 20,000. This is to prevent farmers from incurring losses. We then exported them abroad," Isnaini said. She added that PT Petani Milenial Sleman aims to absorb 9 tons of cayenne peppers per week. They will store the chilies in cold storage before exporting them abroad. The company can export 1 ton of chilies per day. The company aims to export chilies to many countries. A possible export expansion could include Saudi Arabia. The demand for chilies abroad is indeed large. However, they can currently only export 1 ton per day. "Basically, if the price of chilies drops at the farmer level, we buy them and export them abroad," he said.
Regarding obstacles, rotting chilies and the pest "patek" are factors that reduce the value and quality of chilies. Chilies for export must be picked from the stalks. Chilies with stalks will quickly rot even if refrigerated. To maintain this quality, PT. Milenial Sleman collaborates with women's farmer groups (KWT) and the community. "Collaborating with KWTs can also provide additional income, especially for the housewives who join them," she said. The Head of the Sleman Millennial Farmers Regional Committee, Taufik Mawaddani, stated that the success of maintaining chili prices above the Break Even Point (BEP) is a source of happiness for farmers and a goal of PT Petani Milenial Sleman. "We want the Sleman Millennial Farmers forum to always be beneficial to everyone, especially farmers in Sleman," he said.
