Indragiri Hilir Regency is one of the coconut production centers in Indonesia and is considered as the main source of income for most of the farmers. However, this Regency has a high percentage of poverty during the past few years in Riau Province. This research aims to analyze the impact of coconut sector development on regional economy, identify the potential of regional losses, and formulate policy options to improve of regional income and to decrease poverty level. Primary and secondary data were analyzed using Social Accounting Matrix, Foster-Greer Thorbecke Poverty Index and descriptive analysis. The result indicates that coconut and its processing activities have high impact on structure of output, gross added value, and employment opportunity. Coconut sector has indicated regional losses, especially at the large-scale processing activity caused by the flow of both employment and capital incomes to other regions. Investment policies amounted to Rp. 50 billion each in coconut sector (Simulation 1), large-scale coconut industry sector (Simulation 2), and household scale industry sector (Simulation 3) could only reduce poverty level at 2.78 percent (for farm household landholding size ranges from 0.00 to1.00 ha), and 5.67 percent (for landholding size more than 1.00 ha). Other household groups have no change in poverty level. Simulation 1 provides higher contribution in improving incomes of production factors and household, respectively at 2.07 and 2.08 percent compared with Simulation 2 and 3. Meanwhile, Simulation 3 contributes the highest impact in increasing income of production sector (about 2.79 percent).
Key words: smallholders coconut, poverty, regional loss, regional growth, income
ABSTRAKKabupaten Indragiri Hilir merupakan salah satu sentra produksi kelapa di Indonesia dan sebagian besar peduduknya berusaha di sektor kelapa sebagai mata pencaharian utamanya. Disisi lain, kabupaten ini memiliki persentase penduduk miskin yang tertinggi diantara kabupaten/kota yang ada di Provinsi Riau pada beberapa tahun terakhir. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis dampak pengembangan sektor kelapa terhadap perekonomian wilayah, menganalisis indikasi dan potensi kebocoran wilayah sektor kelapa serta dampaknya terhadap perekonomian wilayah, dan menganalisis opsi kebijakan yang dapat meningkatkan pendapatan dan menurunkan kemiskinan. Data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah data primer dan sekunder yang dianalisis dengan menggunakan