The Tani Hijau Makmur Cooperative in Tanggamus Regency, Lampung exported 64 tonnes of bananas or 14,266 boxes in 2020 to China, Malaysia, Singapore and the Middle East. This cooperative has partnered with PT Great Giant Pineapple (GGP) to cultivate more than 400 hectares of banana tree land with a total membership of 820 farmers.
Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki said the partnership between MSMEs including farmers through cooperatives with large businesses is a priority of the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises and is a strategy to encourage MSMEs to move up in class. "We have learned so far, farmers whose land ownership is narrow, cannot possibly build corporate farming that can produce products that are consistent, of good quality and improve welfare. It's almost impossible, ”said Teten, Monday (1/3/2021). "Partnership is needed, because if individual farmers face the market, it will be less profitable for farmers. So, let the cooperative take care of it (the market), "he added.
Teten emphasized that through the cooperative, the need for production raw materials can be met at a lower price. Production quality standards can also be maintained and market access is guaranteed. Bananas are the second largest foreign exchange contributor for Indonesia after pineapples with a value of US $ 14.6 million (BPS: 2018) or around Rp.204 billion. During the pandemic, it was also still surviving with 11.15 million US dollars or Rp. 163 billion with a volume of 22,000 tons.
The good productivity of agricultural products in Lampung is inseparable from the tenacity of the people who work on social forestry land optimally. MenkopUKM hopes that farmers who get social forestry land certificates can make good use of their land and become centers of economic growth.
