The Comparison of Household Economic Level from Conventional to Organic Rubber Farming farming to support Sustainable Development in Agriculture

Abstract

Organic farming is one alternative method to increase productivity and farmers’ income and improve soil ecology. The objectives of this research were to compare the time allocation of rubber farmers, the level of production, and the farmers’ income, and also to analyze the changes in the household expenditure of conventional to organic rubber farming. The research was conducted in Musi Banyuasin District, South Sumatra Province. The samples were the farmers who changed the technology from conventional to organic farming. The Samples were selected by simple random sampling. This research shows a significant difference between the use of organic fertilizer and chemical fertilizer in rubber farming regarding time allocation, production level, household income, and expenditure. The level of time allocation revealed that organic farming was longer than conventional farming. The production level and income of organic farming were higher than those of conventional farming. The household expenditure on organic and conventional farming was at the same level.