Nanda Budi Prayuga, JIFSI, and the Unstoppable Spirit of Innovation
Tauhid Nur Azhar
During a journey across Southeast Asia, I, who love trying out various public transportation modes, found myself on a blue bus with the number A3, which I took from Don Muang Airport in Bangkok to Pratunam Station. The largest wholesale market in Thailand, which stretches along the road and is almost similar to the atmosphere of Tanah Abang or Blok M in the past, I was not looking for clothes, but I was curious to know. Uniquely, amidst the stalls selling various fashion products and accessories, I saw fruit stalls that were fresh and adorable. Various types of mangoes, papayas, guavas, and pomegranates appeared with their charm and were very tempting.
My thoughts wandered, of course, this is part of the “Bangkok” fruits that are well-known in the homeland for their quality and size. While snacking on a mango with a green skin that had a reddish tint and a “dry” aroma that stimulated my olfactory nerve, I chatted with the vendor, who was telling me something in Thai. However, from the information that was not clear, I got a hint that there is a fruit center that is a hub for the trade of agricultural/horticultural products in Bangkok, called Pasar OTK (Or Tor Kor) and Mahanak. The name of the last market sounded scary to me, who as a teenager once watched a Thai horror movie that was really terrifying and had a title or character named Nangnak. My association was that maybe there was a Nangnak in Mahanak, right?
In the end, I did not have time to visit both markets, but from that brief conversation, I reflected on how great the Thai agro industry is. Along with Tom Yam and its horror movies, Thai fruits have been able to “invade” the taste of many people in many countries, as if they were no longer limited by ethnic, racial, and geographical characteristics. Everyone likes it, even the King of Fruit or Stinky Fruit, which is the nickname given to durians, which are classified as part of the Kingdom Plantae, Division Spermatophyta, Class Dicotyledon, Order Malvales, Family Malvaceae, Genus Durio, Species Durio zibethinus Murr, which was initially despised but was later labeled as the most exotic fruit in the world.
Thailand is indeed great, in the field of agro-industry, their superiority is evident and shows consistency in focusing on developing tropical fruits that have undeniable comparative advantages. Their fruits are known not only for their size, taste, color, and all the organoleptic indicators that are intertwined with sensory work, but also they are available throughout the seasons. The distribution chain can be managed in such a way that they can always arrive at the customer’s doorstep in a fresh state, at the right level of ripeness, and ready to be consumed at any time.
How is this possible? One of the ways is through research and development that is sustainable in the context of preparing a system in a continuous manner.
In the 2000s, I had a little experience related to the implementation of technological innovation in this agro-industry field. I, along with a group of students from the IF program at STEI ITB, developed fish feed for catfish (Clarias batrachus spp) that was intended to have a high level of omega-3 fatty acids (Docohecsanoic Acid/Eicopentasanoic Acid) when the catfish was harvested, because the fatty acid is important for growth and can optimize growth and brain function.
As a result, the catfish that, according to the 2017 DKBM data, had a nutritional content of 18 grams of protein, 3 grams of fat, 50 grams of sodium, 237 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids, 337 milligrams of omega-6 fatty acids, and 5.6 grams of iron, our catfish had a laboratory test result at UGM, with an omega-3 content of 860 mg/100 grams of meat.
The spectacular result made us asked to showcase the research results at the innovation exhibition in the context of celebrating National Technology Day on August 10, coinciding with the maiden flight of the N-250 Gatotkaca, a domestic-made aircraft, in 1995.
At the exhibition, we saw many interesting research-based innovations, including superior papaya that was touted to become a flagship agro commodity of the nation. However, long after the exhibition, I did not find the super papaya at the fruit market or at my regular supermarket. Therefore, I thought that consistency and continuity are the keywords. With consistency and a sustainable program, all the links in a production process can be optimized.
Michael Porter’s value chain theory explains that success in an industry can be achieved through the optimization of the entire value chain, from production to distribution. The Thai horticulture industry has applied this theory by increasing efficiency at every stage of the process, from cultivation to export.
Meanwhile, Everett Rogers’ theory of diffusion of innovation explains how innovation is accepted and spread in society. The adoption of new technology by Thai farmers, such as modern irrigation systems and packaging techniques, is a clear example of the application of this theory to improve productivity and product quality.
Now, who doesn’t know about Thai fruits? The market is not only limited to Southeast Asia, but has expanded to almost every continent on earth. Even some of the fruit names have been correlated with geographical indications, such as “Bangkok” for papaya or “Bangkok” for guava, although they may not be from Thailand.
Agricultural centers in the economic growth areas have also developed and received full support from all stakeholders, from regulations to transportation and distribution.
Some provinces have been developed based on their flagship agricultural commodities, such as:
- Chanthaburi, known as the center of durian production in Thailand. In addition to durians, Chanthaburi also produces other fruits such as mangosteen and rambutan. Durians from this region are known for their exceptional taste and quality.
- Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, provinces in northern Thailand with a suitable climate for strawberry, grape, and vegetable production. Both provinces are also known as the center of horticultural research in Thailand.
- Rayong, known not only for its beach tourism industry but also as the center of pineapple and mango production. Pineapples from Rayong are known for their sweetness and aroma.
- Nakhon Pathom, located near the capital city of Bangkok, is the center of fresh vegetable and flower production. Its strategic location facilitates distribution to domestic and international markets.
But don’t be mistaken, and don’t be pessimistic, there is good news from the eastern tip of Java Island. A multi-talented young man, an alumnus of the Informatics Department of Universitas Telkom, who has won several awards in international innovation competitions, has returned to his village and is working with young farmers in the region to revive Indonesian agriculture.
Nanda Budi Prayuga is his name, an IT engineer at the startup E-Fishery, who is inspired to work together with his beloved Abang and Ayahanda to restore the glory of the Jeruk Ngantang industrial center in Malang Regency.
He initiated the establishment of a cross-community collaboration to develop modern agriculture with integrated agricultural technology. They established JIFSI, Jeruk Tanpa Musim Integrated Farming System.
Jeruk Tanpa Musim or Jertanmus is a product of a complex system with a sustainable approach that has accommodated various dynamics, from social and cultural aspects to technology.
JIFSI develops the concept of participatory rural appraisal that is open to partnership processes to develop their strategic potential. PT. Telkom Indonesia has helped and partnered in the development of agricultural technology based on IoT, where automation of micro-irrigation systems and weather monitoring has been implemented sustainably, affecting the productivity of the land managed by the JIFSI community.
Technical guidance is also provided by the Balai Besar Pelatihan Pertanian (BBPP) Ketindan as a training unit under the Badan Penyuluhan dan Pengembangan SDM Pertanian (BPPSDMP). It is possible that JIFSI can also establish strategic partnerships with research, training, and business entities, both domestic and foreign.
JIFSI has a noble mission to improve the welfare of Indonesian farmers by increasing per capita income through the Jeruk Tanpa Musim (Jertanmus) fruit planting program, which focuses on producing high-quality, innovative, and sustainable citrus fruits, integrating production and marketing processes from upstream to downstream using renewable technology.
Many technological innovations and breakthroughs have been made by JIFSI, such as the integrated agricultural management system application, where organic and inorganic fertilizers, irrigation, and pest control are carried out in a comprehensive and guided manner with information provided by the agricultural research unit under the Ministry of Agriculture, specifically in the BPPSDMP environment.
JIFSI, led by Nanda Budi Prayuga, a millennial from the village of Ngantru in Ngantang District, Malang Regency, manages the agricultural organization and agribusiness with 48 members, geographically spread across several villages in Ngantang District, Malang Regency.
From the land area managed by JIFSI and its partners, the commodities cultivated are divided into two types, namely horticulture and livestock.
Horticulture and vegetables cover a total area of 65 hectares, fruits cover 32 hectares, and livestock, specifically sheep and goats, total 83 head.
In its business process, to provide maximum results, JIFSI provides high-quality and certified seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides for its partner farmers.
In addition, guidelines in the form of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for plant care are provided to standardize the process. Furthermore, JIFSI also provides assistance to its partner farmers to ensure the quality and quantity of products.
JIFSI implements an intercropping system with oranges as the main crop, which is planted together with seasonal horticultural commodities such as chili peppers, tomatoes, ginger, mustard, and potatoes, especially for orange trees under 2 years old.
This intercropping system allows JIFSI to still generate income even when the main crop is not yet productive. Seasonal horticultural commodities are used as a safety net for the market, so the production process can still generate profits even if the harvest of one commodity is not done maximally.
JIFSI applies an environmentally friendly integrated livestock farming process. About 85% of the farming process is done organically, using mostly inputs from livestock by-products, supported by the role of biological fertilizers that promote growth. Yellow traps are used as a means of environmentally friendly pest and disease management, reducing the use of synthetic chemicals.
Crop rotation techniques, nutrient regulation, seed production processes, making organic fertilizers using fermentation methods facilitated by microorganisms, to the use of black mulch, are some of the innovations that JIFSI tries to apply.
It is not impossible that in the future, JIFSI can also establish a tissue culture laboratory and a field microbiology laboratory for agriculture, which can produce various innovations in agricultural biotechnology.
The use of information technology to optimize the development of integrated farming systems is also crucial. Creating a market through socialization and education on social media, easy access to products on various marketplace channels, and the branding process of superior products that are in the domain of marketing psychology, seem to be continuously developed by Mas Nanda Budi Prayuga and JIFSI.
In fact, not long ago, in mid-September 2024, Nanda Budi Prayuga will depart to study agricultural technology and management in the Bamboo Curtain country, China, as a representative of Indonesia in a knowledge transfer program between countries. This comparative study is expected to further strengthen the spirit of innovation in the JIFSI community.
Not only that, if this collaboration process expands and its spirit can inspire smart and solid work, as well as enthusiasm among various interest groups that have the potential to be developed together, then we can achieve accelerated progress in the competition with our mentor and latent agribusiness competitor, Thailand.
One of the problems that arises in this industry is the problem of packaging and maintaining product quality after harvesting, which must be distributed across regions, and even across continents. All of this requires proper handling and the use of adequate technology.
From my experience working with fellow researchers in an academic environment, I am quite aware of several innovations that can be realized as part of the development of appropriate technology.
There is an innovation by Prof. Nur Muhammad, DEA from the Physics Department of Diponegoro University, in the form of plasma (ozone) technology that can preserve harvested fruits and vegetables without changing their structure, composition, and taste. The cost is low and technically easy to operate, and does not require special skills or high-cost maintenance.
There is also technology such as nano-coating that can prevent spoilage due to microbial manifestation, etc. Including biodegradable plastic packaging technology that is environmentally friendly.
In essence, if we want to synergize and collaborate to unite the energy of various elements of the country, then innovation and various solutions, including those based on technology, will be orchestrated and produce a harmonious composition that can optimize the blessings that have been given to us so far, right?
Hopefully, the spirit of working and perseverance of Mas Nanda Budi Prayuga, who is not afraid to fight alongside his fellow farmers, can inspire many young Indonesians in various parts of the archipelago to rise together for the glory of the nation.
