Jenete (20), a millennial farmer from South Mollo Sub-District, East Nusa Tenggara, can now afford university fees from horticulture farming income. She is a farmer’s daughter and utilises her parents’ farmland to cultivate horticulture to afford her university fee.
Since she was in middle school, Jenete had learned to practice horticulture farming with her parents.
In 2020, she joined the Green Skill 2.0 programme by Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia) in partnership with PT. Kinara Nusantara as its implementing partner.
The program focuses on building the capacity of millennial farmers, especially young female farmers, to be independent and empowered. Jenete gained assistance and training related to the way and system of good and proper plants cultivation through the programme. In addition, she learned about agricultural technology.
“In the beginning, my parents taught me about conventional plants cultivation. We cultivated our land using crowbar and hoe, watered the plants manually and used chemical fertiliser,” Jenete explained.
“Then, when I joined the Green Skill 2.0 programme, I was taught to use technology and proper cultivation techniques. Among them are digging the soil and creating beds using cultivator, making organic fertiliser and pesticide, using drip irrigation system and the correct seeding, “she added.
Since joining the programme, Jenete received support with drip irrigation, water dynamo, water tank, plant seeds, training and assistance. Together with her six friends, Jenete has established a farmer group called “Farmer Group New Life” in her village. They are currently managing 60 acres of land, with horticultural crops, such as tomato, carrot, eggplant, green beans and green vegetables. In one harvest, the group which leads by Jenete could gain about IDR 10.000.000 in income.
“Praise the Lord. The crops could sustain my university fee. In addition, I could also purchase a new smartphone, cover other education costs, and afford my personal needs,” she said.
To develop her horticulture business in the future, Jenete plans to expand her farmland into 1 hectare of land. She will grow melon and watermelon on the ground and she is committed to doing her business since it has good results. “The world of horticulture is so promising. We just need to be smart enough to gain the chance, be diligent, persistent and tenacious. I have experienced good results from the horticulture sector. I won’t leave this horticulture world,” she confirmed.
