Optimizing the Utilization of Production Factors of Coffee Farming Under Pine Stands, Pinus merkusii

Abstract

Efforts to increase land productivity in forest areas have been carried out through community-based forest management programs in the form of coffee planting activities under pine stands. However, the coffee productivity produced by farmers is still considered not optimal, even though farmers have allocated all factors of production in their farming processes. This study aims to determine the scale of business and optimization of the utilization of coffee farming production factors under pine stands. Data collection was conducted by interviewing 30 respondents who were selected by purposive random sampling. The data was analyzed using Cobb Douglas production function approach and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) method to estimate its parameters. To find out the optimal utilization of production factors, then the ratio of marginal production value (NPM) approach to production input prices is used. The results showed that the utilization of land production factors was not optimal because NPMXi/PXi = 3.237. While the seed, fertilizer, and labor factors were already inefficient with NPMXi/PXi value of -2.416, 0.066, and 0.480 respectively. Efforts to optimize income from coffee farming can still be turned out through expansion of planting areas if sufficient land is available or there is a reduction in the composition of coffee plants, the amount of fertilizer used, and the amount of excess labor.

Improved Coffee Management by Farmers in State Forest Plantations in Indonesia: An Experimental Platform

“…The regular pruning of the canopy of coffee trees is a well-accepted essential activity to maximize yields, practiced in all coffee-growing regions [21,24]. However, coffee canopy management is highly variable across the forest, reflecting the limitation in farmers' technical knowledge and their level of motivation to conduct pruning under high shade conditions.…”

“…Once branches have elongated, all but the two strongest branches will be removed, with subsequent formation pruning conducted to develop two vertical stems and a high density of lateral fruit bearing branches. This follows well-developed and widely implemented pruning guidelines where selected plagiotropic and orthotropic stems are removed to increase yield [21,24]. The precise method applied in this case is based on that described by Dufour et al, [21].…”

“…Coffee yields are positively associated with fertilizer applications; however, fertilizers are also a major cost for smallholders and a source of potential environmental pollution [18][19][20][21]. Fertilizer applications are a key metric controlling the economic performance of coffee production [21,23], yet there is evidence that fertilizer application to pine-coffee systems in Indonesia is sub-optimal and may be excessive [24]. In order to support the optimization of applications, fertilizer trials have been initiated within the UB forest platform to explore variation in both the dose and type (inorganic and organic) of fertilizer.…”

“…The key agronomic challenges with coffee agroforestry are divided into those related to the management of the trees, for which achieving the optimal balance between tree density and shade level for coffee production is paramount, and those related to the management of the coffee itself, namely fertilizer practices, weeding, pruning and pest control [20][21][22][23][24]. Management of shade levels requires collaboration between farmers and forest managers.…”

“…Recent studies in shade and sun systems do suggest, however, that the optimization of nitrogen applications and coffee canopy management through effective pruning are key factors for both yield and economic performance [9,[21][22][23]25]. Coffee pruning and fertilizer practices within Indonesia's state pine plantations, however, remain suboptimal with a need for both tailored agronomic studies that reflect the conditions faced by smallholder farmers and improved knowledge transfer and dialogue between researchers and the community [6,22,24,26]. Ensuring coffee farming is profitable in terms of returns for the invested labor must be a priority.…”