This research aims to assess the financial feasibility of cocoa investment by smallholders in the province of Central Sulawesi Indonesia. Primary data were collected from 282 cocoa farmers in Sigi and Parigi Moutong Regency. Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) were used to evaluate the financial feasibility of cocoa farming with the discount rate of 7% per year. The economic parameters were the price of input and output in 2018. The results showed that the NPV value of IDR 39,906,387 and IRR of 17.82 percent. This implied that smallholding of cocoa is financially feasible to be cultivated but with low profitability. It was due to the less intensive orchards cultivation and old age of cocoa plant. So, more intensive cultivation is required using the young plant and rejuvenation of the old cocoa plants. The government needs to promote cocoa cultivation technology that could improve the productivity of smallholder cocoa and the profitability of farming. So, the smallholding of cocoa in the province of central Sulawesi can become sustainable.

Moutong merupakan salah satu kelompok tani yang aktif dalam budidaya padi sawah. Masalah yang dihadapi dalam budidaya padi adalah: (1) kurang tersedianya pupuk organik, (2) rendahnya produktivitas padi yang dihasilkan, (3) serangan hama dan penyakit, dan (4) manajemen organisasi kelompok masih lemah. Program Kemitraan Masyarakat bertujuan untuk membantu petani menerapkan teknik menanam padi sawah organik, mengembangkan input dan bahan produksi untuk mengendalikan hama dan penyakit secara ekologis, dan menyediakan makanan sehat bagi masyarakat. Metode pelaksanaannya meliputi: pembinaan dan pelatihan, praktek teknis dan demonstrasi, pertanaman percontohan serta pembinaan partisipatif. Hasil pelaksanaan kegiatan pengabdian menunjukkan bahwa pengetahuan dan keterampilan peserta meningkat. Pada pelaksanaan demplot budidaya padi sawah organik terlebih dahulu diaplikasikan pupuk organik yang telah dikembangkan sebelumnya ke lahan yang akan ditanami sebagai pupuk dasar, kemudian dilakukan penanaman bibit padi yang sesuai dengan prinsip good agriculture practise. Pelaksanaan demplot tersebut adalah dalam rangka mendukung program pemerintah daerah yaitu Kabupaten Parigi Moutong sebagai daerah beras di Sulawesi Tengah.

This research aimed to estimate the technical efficiency – allocative and economic – of cocoa farming. The research was conducted in Sigi and Parigi Moutong Regency of Central Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. The data were collected from 282 cocoa farmers in the research area. The results of the research showed that there was a large variation between technical efficiency levels. There was also a large variation between the efficiency level of allocative and economic in cocoa farming, which implied an opportunity to improve cocoa yields at the level of farmers. We concluded that education of farmer, age of farmer, extension visit, farming scale, and age of cocoa crop was the determinant factors of cocoa production efficiency. We suggested that education of farmer, extension access, and age of crop needed to be a priority of the government, as there was sufficient potential to improve cocoa yields in the research area.

The decreased soil carrying capacity is due to reduced soil organic matter content, caused by disproportionally larger use of inorganic fertilizers and synthetic chemical pesticides in farming activities than organic fertilizers and environmentally friendly weeds, disease, and insect pests control materials. Reducing the use of inorganic fertilizers and synthetic chemical pesticides could be done by using production facilities of organic agriculture in the form of organic fertilizers and synthetic non-chemical pesticides on a larger scale, which base materials are available in nature. The problem faced by farmers in using these inputs is the lack of awareness and skills in producing organic inputs. This community service program with competitive schematics aims to assist the community in preparing local resource-based organic production inputs in Uwe Nuni Village, Palolo District. Specifically, to increase the awareness and skills of farmers in producing organic inputs based on local resources. The method used for counselling and training is Focus Group Discussion (FGD) approach, as well as practice and demonstration plots, which also provide technical guidance on making compost and botanical pesticides, and organic-based plant cultivation techniques. The results of the community service program show that the implementation of counselling and training increases the community’s awareness, skills, and attitudes by 38%, 56% and 54%, respectively. The compost made during the technology training was made from cow and goat manure, while the botanical insecticides were made from quickstick (Gliricidia sepium) plant leaves, papaya leaves, and soursop leaves. These plants are potential resources in Uwe Nuni Village, Palolo District.