Indonesia
managed to change its economy from agriculture based to an industrial and
service economy. Gross domestic product grew more than 100 times within four
decades from USD7.5 bln in 1968 to USD888.5 bln in 2014, nevertheless
agriculture share to the GDP decrease significantly from 49% for the same
period in 1968 to only 10.26% in 2014. As structure of the economy has change
so as with labor force. According to Indonesia Central Bureau of Statistic
proportion of agricultural workers has consistency dropped from nearly 60
percent in 1988 to 38.91 percent in 2010. Labor force swift from primary
agriculture to secondary sector such as industry, construction, trading,
transportation, finance and service.
Decreasing
in number unfortunately comes with aging of farmers. Number of young farmer or
those who under 35 getting less. Indeed it is a global concern, in UK is has
been reported that the percentage of farmers under 35 has fallen from 16% in
1990 to 2.8% in 2011. Indonesia is a bit better of 12% but have far larger
population to feed means that the country need to boost its food production.
The
younger are reluctant to take agriculture for their career. For the young image
of farmers are poor, often barely sustain them self and work with dirt. Most of
the young prefer to work on industrial or service sector. The young educated
even if they originally from rural are prefer to stay in the city for an office
job. Concern over this issue Indonesia Ministry of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman
who has agriculture education and business background express that his office
will develop and promote program to encourage the young to return to
agriculture. The program aim to create awareness among the young generation
that farmer is a noble job and has same opportunity for success. Farmer are the
noble who work to feed people in big modern city which without will collapse.
Quoting Brenda Schoepp a Canadian prominent writer, agriculture and
environmental activist 'once in our life we need a doctor, a lawyer, a
policeman and perhaps a preacher, but every day, three times a day we need
farmer'.
In
coconut sectors fortunately is not the case especially in the past few years.
As many already understand that coconut business is been established in
Indonesia for a long period of time dated back in the colonial era. Coconut
industry has contributed to the countrys' development in early independence. It
is also benefit some of the prominent businessmen such as Ciputra, Peter Sondakh of Rajawali Group, Eka
Tjipta Wijaya of Sinar Mas and Mochtar Riady of Lippo. These magnates linked to
coconut in many ways from being raised in coconut producing areas, inherited
copra business from their father or pioneering their venture with copra before
move to and prosper in another industry such manufacture, property, mining,
media etc.
The
increased interest and number of the young to work on coconut sector for
example can be seen from coconut shell charcoal business. Such increase is
confirmed by Bambang Warih Kusuma owner of internationally recognized COCOCHA
brand barbecue briquette. According to Bambang, the pioneer of the briquette
business in the country, the number of charcoal related entrepreneurs are
increase significantly estimated by more than 64 percent in the last 3 years
which is half of them young ones.
Prominent
young entrepreneurs emerge all over the country and some covered by media. They
worked for different coconut products. Toil themselves on coconut shell
charcoal related business such as run a shell burning kilns, trading and produce
briquette for barbecue. Some are also interest and venturing on a controlled,
clean and air-conditioned environment of food industry such as desiccated
coconut and virgin coconut oil. Another prefer to work with farmers producing
coconut sugar. Their motivation are varied from the basic reason of fighting
for better economy. Express and extend their business capacity, continuing what
they already learn at the university or college, social motivation to help
farmers or continue an inherited business from their parents.
Among
them are Helmy Affandi (28) a Surabaya based briquette business run his venture
through PT. Empat Sekawan a company he set with Christopher Imantaka and Johan
Hermawan his university colleagues. He was still a student at Ciputra University
when they start the business. Helmy who was elected president director of the
company initially work on coconut fibre. They inspired by Mr. Ciputra a well
respected businessman in the country and founder of the university. Ciputra
always pronounce a businessman are those who can turn waste to gold. Coconut
fibre will be exactly fit into the phrase. The fiber are waste as most of the
husk, source of fibre, are burnt. Processing the husk onto fibre and exporting
it is the process of creating gold. Helmy and his friends studied at Ciputra
University which mission to educate and create young entrepreneurs. Now they expand
their business to coconut charcoal business which was started as trader to
supply activated carbon factory in China. After run for a while they met buyer
for briquette. They then tried to produce coconut shell charcoal briquette. After
running for 3 years with a simple start they producing 72 to 90 tons briquette
a months with export to Russia, United States and Middle East. He quoted that
two of his business on coconut make annual turnover USD1,650,000.
Helmy
and his friend start as student but story of Haqqul Bashar are a bit different.
He was working in a state own bank when aware business opportunity in coconut.
On a weekend he went to Polewali a small coastal town 6 hours away from
Makassar for survey. He met some suppliers there and could match them with a
readily buyers he know in Makassar. From there he start the trading. Able to
make a good first profit Haqqul then go back and forth from Makassar to Polewali.
He depart to Polewali after office hour on Friday and return to Makassar Sunday
evening to catch up Monday for his office work. Doing this for four months
Haqqul decided focus on his business full time and resign from his job. Run the
trading for a while decide to apply loan from the bank he use to work. Now he
produce white copra as he can see double profit of buying coconuts processing
it to white copra and still got the shell for charcoal. Haqqul produce 24 tons
white copra a month and for this he employ 14 workers at factory. This friendly
bachelor recorded an annual turnover USD310,000. After four years he plan to
expand his business by open another factory in different province. I feel happy
with what I am doing now, he conclude, apart of doing business I am helping the
local by providing them job.
Social
entrepreneurship was in her mind when Sandilla Tristiany (26) decided to visit
a group of farmers producing brown coconut sugar in the city of Purbalingga
West Java. Cindy, nickname of this active girl, get an astonishing finding, the
farmers gain little from their meticulous and often dangerous labor. Cindy said
that farmers had to climb twice a day several 10 to 15 meters high coconut
trees to collect neera. The neera then cooked for several hours
to make half solid brownish compound, coconut sugar. She described the work as
dangerous because climbing incident happened. Climber often fell off from the
tree and one incident occur in a year is almost common. Later she also
understand that the sugar has lower quality so will not get better price in the
market. She gather the farmers and agree to help them improve the quality and
finding a better market. Her plan work program is supported by more farmers
which later decide to form a cooperative with 340 member farmers. The
cooperative then organize training for good processing practice. The quality
slowly improved and find its way to be exported to Singapore. Few months ago
through her help the cooperative get an organic certification from Control
Union. Cindy passion to make a change in coconut sugar community also get
attention from Jolkona a nonprofit organization in Seattle. Last May 2016 she
get fellowship to attend three week training for young social entrepreneur in
developing countries. She learn a lot from the training, knowledge that she
hardly wait to share to her team.
Mudji
Tasrip (26) who still feel comfortable as coconut trader supplying several
traditional markets in Jakarta, the capital of the country. He get his coconut
supply from Painan and Lampung both in Sumatera then delivered by truck all the
way to Jakarta. Average 11 trucks contained 9,000 mature coconuts transported
in a month to his warehouse near Pasar Minggu one of the largest traditional
market in Jakarta. He is an IT graduate and has work in a finance company
before focus on the business that run by his father for before he was born
thirty years ago. Recent hike of coconut price in Indonesia due to previous
year drought assure Mudji to keep work on coconut business. He intend to work
on simple processing with less investment such as coconut milk and copra to get
added value. Once in a while he go to the source of the coconut to see the
plantation and meet farmers or trader who supply them. Not only to get to know
them but understand the situation of the coconut sectors. He believe that now
the country need to boost its replanting program to replace senile tree.
The
list continue to Annas Ahmad (35) who produce and sell VCO under an established
brand Vico Bagoes. His interest with the product created from a personal
experience. His father dr. Zainal Gani is a medical doctor who live healthy
life from three decades diabetic by consuming regularly virgin coconut oil.
After several years run conventional marketing, Annas start to opt for a more
efficient marketing through social media. This year he join an e-commerce
network to sell his VCO. VicoBagoes exported to some developed countries but
Annas plan to increase his domestic sales. The aim is to spread the healthy
benefit of VCO within the country.
Another
young business start-up is Abimanyu Lino (32) who open a desiccated processing
business last year. He chose to set his factory in Tobelo of North Maluku which
he see less develop than other place in western Indonesia. Graduate from a
reputable university in Australia and coming from a middle class family in
Jakarta not deter his passion on coconut sector. He was not comfortable enough to
sit and work in an air-conditioned room as he did for several years before
decide to enter coconut business. He then decided to quit and start to work on
his plan. After visiting and doing business in some places in Sumatera Abimanyu decided to settle in Tobelo a small peace town in North Maluku which far from luxury he
can enjoy in big city like Jakarta. Though he sells his product on domestic market
he plan to upgrade his processing technology and aiming for export.
Coconut
will keep attract and create new young entrepreneurs especially with the
promising global trend for a healthy and organic food products. Indonesia as
the largest coconut producer witnessing a dynamic coconut industry development.
Nevertheless one serious problem in the sector is the need for national
replanting program. More than half percent of the total plantation in Indonesia
need to be replant. Keep the current approach of replanting it will take more
than 90 years to complete the task. It is therefore new dynamic and technology
savvy of the young needed to lead the action. As Minister of Agriculture hope
that by involve in agriculture business the young can boost the agricultural
development. Their power can re-energize the sector by develop agro economy and
improve the livelihood of farmers. Economy is the incentive as strong as or as
much as in IT or finance sector and coconut sector most likely to provide it.
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