In the past, Andri Aswat was content with his routine as an honorary staff member at the district office. To him, coconut farming seemed more practical because it was less physically demanding than the complexities of tending to vegetables. However, that perspective changed completely when he decided to join the Knowledge Transfer Program assisted by Yayasan Bina Tani Sejahtera (YBTS).
Through intensive technical assistance from the YBTS field team, Andri began learning from scratch about Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). The presence of a YBTS Technical Field Officer (TFO) on his farm ensured that every stage was carried out with the correct techniques. On the land he managed using these GAP standards, Andri proved that modern methods could provide much more stable and profitable yields. He then strengthened this spirit of change by founding a farmer group called “Revolusi Tani” (Farmers’ Revolution).
His farm has now transformed into a demonstration plot (demplot) serving as a learning space for local residents. Thanks to his persistence and success in managing the farmer group, Andri is now trusted with a larger role as a Community Farmer Facilitator (CFF). As a CFF, he no longer farms only for himself; instead, he has become a mentor tasked with passing professional technical standards to fellow farmers in his region.
“I used to think vegetable farming was too tiring. But after practicing directly with YBTs, I realized it is not just manual labor. It is a professional business with real results,” he shared.
The results of this dedication are remarkable. In addition to earning an income that far exceeds his previous salary, the impact he has created has spread widely; the technical standards of Andri mastered have now been duplicated by many other farming families under his guidance.
