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Saiful, a 33-year-old farmer from Bangga village, is the eldest of two siblings. Alongside his father, he cultivates a one-hectare cornfield. In addition to his work as a farmer, Saiful also serves as the head of the local youth organization (Karang Taruna) and is an active participant in the REAF II program facilitated by ADRA Indonesia. Due to his active involvement, the REAF II team often entrusted him with the role of Community Organizer (CO) for various activities held in his village.
As a CO, Saiful had the opportunity to attend all the Farmer Field Schools (FFS) conducted in Bangga under REAF II. Before joining ADRA’s activities—especially the corn-focused field schools—Saiful had little knowledge about Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) or the correct methods of cultivating corn to maximize yield.
“All this time, my father and I farmed based on inherited practices. We couldn’t even tell the difference between certified seeds and fake ones that mimicked real brands. As a result, our harvests were always poor. From 12 kg of seeds, we typically only harvested around 1.5 tons. Even then, we could only sell them for IDR 3,500 per kg,” he shared.
However, things began to change when Saiful started applying the lessons learned from the GAP outreach and field schools held between March and May 2025. He began improving his farming techniques by adopting several best practices, including:
- Using certified quality seeds instead of aid-distributed or counterfeit ones,
- Implementing proper plant spacing of 20 cm x 80 cm, planting one seed per hole,
- Applying fertilizers with the “tugal” method, and doing it on time and at the correct dosage.
“Alhamdulillah, during our most recent harvest in February 2025, we could really feel the difference. From 12 kg of seeds, we harvested over 3 tons of corn.”
Saiful was also one of the representatives from Bangga Village selected to participate in a field study visit to Palolo subdistrict.
“As someone without an agricultural background, this experience was incredibly valuable. Everything I’ve learned over the past year with ADRA has added to my farming knowledge. I’ve even started sharing what I’ve learned about GAP and what I observed during the field visit with other young farmers outside of the REAF program. My hope is that more youth involved in farming will adopt these improved methods,” he said.
Equipped with the knowledge from both the GAP sessions and field visits, Saiful now aims to consistently improve his yields. He is committed to applying what he has learned from ADRA’s field school, GAP outreach, and field study programs in his future farming activities.
“In the upcoming planting season, I plan to prepare fertilizers in advance, choose quality seeds based on my field conditions, and apply the recommended techniques—from seed selection and spacing to fertilization and maintenance.”
Finally, Saiful expressed his deep gratitude to the REAF II team and ADRA Indonesia for their support and continuous guidance.
