Tropenbos Indonesia and PT KAL Empower Orange Farmers in Kuala Satong Village, Matan Hilir Utara Sub-District, Ketapang District

On June 11 2022, PT KAL signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ketapang District Government, the Development Partners Association (PMP, NGO) and TI for the development and empowerment of Kuala Tolak, Kuala Satong and Laman Satong Villages, North Matan Hilir District, which are located around the concession PT KAL (https://bit.ly/4d6X9io). Since March 2023, this collaboration has been implemented through collaboration between PT KAL and TI in organizing farmer field schools for rice farming in Kuala Tolak Village and orange farming in Kuala Satong Village. Farmer field school implementation can be a solution for farmers to overcome the damaged citrus plants and infertile garden soil that affect low fruit production and selling prices.

The implementation of Farmer Field School in Kuala Satong Village aims to increase the capacity of farmers through technical understanding of plant cultivation, utilization of plant and livestock waste, pests and diseases control and marketing strategies to increase production and income. The implementation of farmer field school was delivered through various practices and direct trials on orange plants in a learning plot belonging to a member of the farmer group and began with agroecosystem analysis activities which were carried out routinely at every meeting. Agroecosystem analysis is a series of observation and analysis activities to train farmers' reasoning skills in managing the environment where orange plants grow and identify the potential problems they may face in the future.

Farmer field school refers to an organic farming system in the utilization of local organic materials available around the community's living environment. The learning topics presented in the Field School consist of an introduction to basic ecosystems; soil management and fertility (catching decomposing bacteria, making liquid organic fertilizer (POC) and compost); plant nutrition; garden restrictions and sanitation; introduction and control of pests and plant diseases (manufacture of botanical pesticides, California slurry); vegetative plant propagation (grafting, cuttings and breeding orange plants) and marketing strategy with PT KAL. Through a series of trainings that have been carried out, farmers have directly proven that there are changes in the growth and yield of orange plants, where the orange fruit which used to be sour now tastes sweeter and fresher after the application of proper plant nutrition.

Since October 2023, Kuala Satong Village has succeeded in building the 'Satong Makmur' farmer group which has been registered in the Agricultural Extension Management Information System (Simluhtan). The farmer group, which consists of 14 orange farmers, has regularly sent oranges to the PT KAL employee cooperative. The amount supplied during 5 deliveries reached 328 kg of class A category oranges (largest size). Even though the amount of supply is not very large compared to the market potential of the total number of company employees, farmers can sell at a higher price compared to selling to agents (collectors). The certainty of the market and the potential for developing orange commodities through the collaboration built with PT KAL is a motivation for farmers to continue developing orange commodities. Together with TI and PT KAL, in the future the Satong Makmur farmer group can develop derivative products from orange fruit (class C fruit or the smallest size) and increase the business management capacity of group members.