Banana market chain improvement enhance farmers’ market linkages in West Java, Indonesia

Farmers in Nanggung subdistrict live on or below the poverty line with access to less then 1 hectare of land, consisting of irrigated rice fields (0.3 ha) and upland tree gardens (0.5 ha). Traditionally, tree gardens products are intended for household consumption with some sales in local markets. Management is not intensive, the use agricultural inputs (fertilizers, pesticides, quality germplasm) is infrequent, and labor is focused on harvesting. Proximity to Jakarta and its infrastructure offer Nanggung farmers opportunity to target production to meet raising demand for fruit and vegetable products in lucrative urban and international markets. Fruit and vegetable products with a high demand include: banana, durian, mangosteen, rambutan, petai, jackfruit, chili peppers, tomatoes, sweet corn, peanuts, green beans and chickpeas. Banana holds particularly high potential, being the most common and profitable tree garden crop in Nanggung. Market demand far exceeds supply. Under Nanggung conditions bananas will produce fruit 12 months after establishment and then every 4-6 months thereafter. However, the quality of garden products is inconsistent and often inferior. Farmers have limited market knowledge and linkages. Farmers are interested in intensifying their tree farming activities, but hesitate because they are not sure where to focus their efforts. We report here ongoing work to assist Nanggung farmers improve their tree garden management to enhance both the quantity and quality of the products and strengthen their ability to respond to market opportunities. Banana is used as an example of how to achieve success.