Empowered Corn Farmers, Increased Family Income
Saharudin (41), a corn farmer from Sigi Regency who has difficulty in hearing, did not want to give up for his life. Although he had experienced ups and downs in doing corn farming, Saharudin still fell in love with corn. Especially since he met the Moringa Project of Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) in Central Sulawesi.
Saharudin used to plant 11 kg of corn seeds and produce around 3-4 tons at a time. However, since getting NK 212 seeds from the Moringa WVI project, Saharudin is now able to gain 4.2 tons per harvest and sells them for IDR 3,600/kg.
“From this harvest, I will expand my cornfield by renting additional land. The goal is to meet the daily needs of families and children's schools. I hope there is ongoing assistance to get the latest information about corn farming. The assistance from WVI has brought many changes for corn farmers, especially in our village,” said Saharudin.
Saharudin is often assisted by his wife, Senang (39) in caring for the cornfield. Although half of the garden land is still rented, both of them are happy to be corn farmers. Moreover, corn farming is the main source of income for their families.
Saharudin is one of 360 farmers in 4 districts in Central Sulawesi who received seed assistance through the Cash Voucher Program facilitated by the Moringa Project, funded by the Australian government, for vulnerable farmers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. This seed assistance is given as support for farmers to be able to continue their agricultural business during the pandemic.
Most of the farmers who receive the benefits of corn seed assistance are those who make agriculture the main source of family income. However, some farmers choose vegetable seeds to be developed.
The seeds had been procured from local vendors that are the retailers of PT Syngenta, the producer of the NK maize seeds. PT Syngenta ensures the availability of seed for distribution. The vendor was not only distributed the beneficiaries but also provided information on good agriculture practices of the product to ensure proper use by the farmers.
Written by: Nofrin Tobigo, Field Facilitator of the Moringa Wahana Visi Indonesia Project
