STRATEGY FOR INCREASING FARMERS' INCOME THROUGH DRY LAND RESOURCES COMBINATION IN KUPANG DISTRICT OF NUSA TENGGARA TIMUR

Abstract

Dryland farming is an activity carried out traditionally by farmers on using various resources such as the type of livestock that is kept, land for rainfed rice fields and fields. Types of plants include food crops in the form of rice and corn, vegetables, horticulture, and also labor and capital. All these resources are cultivated in combination even though they have not been allocated optimally, but this is an inseparable part of their habits, so that if an optimum model of resource allocation is found, farmers will certainly apply it to obtain maximum income. What is the combination of each resource that can generate maximum income for farmers; this is the main problem of this research. Research result; the resources owned by farmers are allocated optimally which results in maximum income, if the paddy field area is 0.58 hectares; land area for 0.64Ha corn, land for planting cassava covering an area of 4.39 Ha and for vegetables 0.06 Ha per family; raising cattle as much as 1.18 AU; pigs 0.80 AU and raising goats 0.33 AU. The optimum allocation of all resources owned by the farmer mentioned above generates income of IDR 35,249,269.12. Cattle play a payment tool for customary fines in the marriage of Atoni Meto, and as dowry.

Keywords

• Allocation
• optimization
• revenue maximization
• social and cultural roles