KEN ALI
T h e s to r y o f fa rm e r w h o s h a re th e ir lo v e o n y o u r p la te
Pinrang, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
W h o a re th e y ? T h e y a re A b d u l W a r is M a w a rd i (4 3 ) a n d A n u g r a h A k ib (3 5 ) w h o w o r k a s fa r m e r (W a r is ) a n d t e a c h e r (A k ib ), b e s id e s t h a t W a r is h a v e a ro le in lo c a l h e a lt h s e r v ic e fa c ilit y a n d h u m a n it y a c t iv a t io n a n d A k ib a s a m a r k e t in g c re w in a F is h P ro c e s s in g C o o p e r a t iv e b y W o m e n (F a r m e r ’s W iv e s ). F ro m t h e ir s t o r ie s I c a n t e ll t h a t t h e y h a v e b ig c o n t r ib u t io n o n fa r m in g d e v e lo p m e n t a n d g e n d e r e q u a lit y in L a n r is a n g , P in r a n g . T h e y b o t h w o r k t o g e t h e r in fa r m a n d s o c ie t y t o in t ro d u c e t h e im p o r t a n c e o f id e a , in n o v a t io n , k n o w le d g e , t o g e t h e r n e s s , e q u a lit y -e q u it y a n d c o lla b o r a t io n .
E v e r y m o r n in g W a r is a lw a y s g o a n d c h e c k e v e r y t h in g in h is fa r m , o r s o m e t im e s h e ju s t g o t o c o lle c t s o m e s h r im p s t o b e s o ld la t e r.
H e s h o w s u s t h e fe e d h e u s e s fo r h is s h r im p s , it c a lle d P ro n e m a . P ro n e m a is a n e n d e m ic C r u s t a c e a t h a t o n ly c a n b e fo u n d in P in r a n g , S o u t h S u la w e s i, In d o n e s ia . B e fo re h e s p re a d t h e s h r im p t o p o n d , h e fa r m s t h e p ro n e m a fo r t h e fe e d s o u rc e o f t h e s h r im p . B e c a u s e h e d o t r a d it io n a l fa r m in g m e t h o d , s o h e o n ly re ly o n n a t u re t o fa r m t h e s h r im p .
T h e fa r m e r in P in r a n g u s e p a r a le l m e t h o d t o h a r v e s t t h e s h im p . P a r a le l m e t h o d m e a n t h a t t h e fa r m e r n o t o n ly h a r v e s t o n c e in a c y c le b u t t h e y c a n h a r v e s t a n y t im e t h e y w a n t . U s u a lly t h e y h a r v e s t e v e r y w e e k a n d g e t a ro u n d 1 -4 k g s h r im p s .
A k ib a ls o t a k e s p a r t in t h e fa r m h e lp in g h e r h u s b a n d . S h e h e lp s s o r t t h e s h r im p b a s e d o n t h e ir s iz e a n d s e ll it t o m a r k e t , t h e n s h e re c o rd t h e h a r v e s t -s e ll h is t o r y in h e r la p t o p . T h e y b o t h re a lly g o o d a t s h a r in g ro le s in t h e fa r m s . A ls o t h e y a re s u c h a ro le m o d e l o f t h e ir n e ig h b o u r h o o d a b o u t t h e c o lla b o r a t io n b e t w e e n h u s b a n d -w ife -fa m ily in t h e fa r m .
W a r is d o e s p o ly c u lt u re b e t w e e n t ig e r p r a w n a n d w h it e s n a p p e r in h is fa r m , it w o u ld s o u n d o d d w h e n y o u le a r n a b o u t a q u a c u lt u re . H e a ls o s a id t h a t m a n y e x p e r t s w h o h e a rd a b o u t h is p o ly c u lt u re m e t h o d w ill w o n d e r o r n o t e v e n b e lie v e it . B e c a u s e t h e y k n o w t h a t s n a p p e r is a p re d a t o r in n a t u re a n d t h e y t h o u g h t t h a t t h e s n a p p e r w ill e a t t h e s h r im p . H e h a d s p o k e n in m a n y p o ly c u lt u re fo r u m s t o t e ll a n d e x p la in h is o w n e x p e r ie n c e (e x p e r im e n t ). C u r re n t ly h is fa r m u s e d a s o b je c t o f o b s e r -
v a t io n a b o u t t h e e ff e c t o f s n a p p e r s lim e t o re d u c e t h e s h r im p d is e a s e s e ff e c t . H e h a s a c o n c lu s io n a b o u t w h a t h is e x p e r im e n t s re la t e d t o w h a t h a p p e n e d t o t h e p e o p le . m a n y p e o p le in P in r a n g a re a fr a id t o t r y s o m e t h in g n e w , t h e y o n ly w a n t t o t r y if s o m e o n e e ls e a lre a d y d id it a n d s e e if it w o r k s o r n o t . H e s a id t h a t if w e w a n t t o t r y s o m e t h in g n e w , m a k e a n in n o v a t io n o r t r y t o s o lv e a p ro b le m , t h e q u a lit y o f o u r life s w ill b e g ro w t h a n d in c re a s e .
H e a ls o s a id t h a t h is w ife c o u ld h a d t w o b a c h e lo r ’s d e g re e s fro m t h e ir in c o m e a s a fa r m e r a n d s h e p la n s t o c o n t in u e h e r s t u d ie s in m a s t e r. T h e y h a v e a m e s s a g e t o t h e c o n s u m e r, h e s a id , m o s t fa r m e r s in P in r a n g a re u s in g t r a d it io n a l m e t h o d t h a t re ly o n n a t u re t o fa r m t h e ir s h r im p . S o , h e s a id t h e ir s h r im p is o r g a n ic p ro d u c t a n d h a v e h ig h q u a lit y . T h e n h e h o p e t h a t if t h e c o n s u m e r lik e t h e o r g a n ic s h r im p , t h e c o n s u m e r c o u ld b u y it w it h o r g a n ic p r ic e s t o o (h ig h e r p r ic e s ). H e t h o u g h t t h a t g iv in g m o re v a lu e
o f t h e ir p ro d u c t is a n a p p re c ia t io n t h a t c a n m o t iv a t e fa r m e r a t o p ro d u c e m o re g o o d o rg a n ic s h r im p fo r t h e c o n s u m e r. In a d d it io n , t h e q u a lit y o f life fro m t h e fa r m e r c a n im p ro v e a lo n g w it h r is in g p r ic e s . B e c a u s e t h e re a re p re s e n c e fro m t h e m o d e r n fa r m in g m e t h o d t h a t c a n p ro d u c e m o re s h r im p s t h a t p ro b a b ly m a k e P in r a n g fa r m e r s t a r t t o u s e it . T h e m o d e r n fa r m in g h a v e b ig im p a c t o n e n v iro n t m e n t a n d t h e q u a lit y w ill b e lo w e r t h a n t h e t r a d it io n a l o n e .
fi rm a n n a ra 2021