Yayasan Bina Tani Sejahtera (YBTS) supported by  William & Lily Foundation (WLF) were initiated a program focusing on elevating the source of income among farmers on Agricultural Livelihood through Integrated Approach (PERMATA) project. Several farming groups from Pero Village, West Wewea Subdistrict, and Southwest Sumba Regency participated in this program. The participating farmers have received various training sessions on good agricultural practices since November 2021.

The assistance given by YBTS elevated the farmers’ competence in developing their farmlands. Not only were they given theories, but the farmers also got to apply their newfound knowledge to their farmlands. The program received a warm response from the head of Pero Village, Petrus Adi Papa. “We’re thankful for all the training YBTS’ field officers gave. This program gives valuable knowledge that further improves the farming sectors in Pero Village,” he said.

The farmers’ keen eyes also supported the success of PERMATA participants in seeing business potential. Not only did they focus on vegetable commodities, but they also expanded their capability to cultivate horticulture. They utilized a five hundred meter square land to produce various commodities, such as tomatoes and chilis. The farmers obtained a satisfying result after three months of cultivation from the two items alone. With the farmers’ elevated skills, they could continue seeing a profit increase every harvest season.

On top of the increasing economic condition, the rapid development of farming sectors in Pero Village also impacted the citizens’ food consumption. The locals, who previously only consumed cassava and papaya leaves, now got more accessible vegetable options. They could quickly obtain commodities like white cabbages, kangkong, tomatoes, etc. All the items were available in the local farmers’ gardens, so they did not need to travel far to the nearest market in the other village. Furthermore, the residents of the neighboring villages were also interested in purchasing the products of the farmers of Pero Village.

The success of farmers in Pero Village was with support from the local government. As the head of the village, Petrus Adi Papa was committed to giving aid in the form of superior seeds for several commodities, such as eggplants, chilis, and tomatoes. He also tried to better utilize the village-owned enterprise (Badan Usaha Milik Desa / BUMDes) to accommodate the farmers’ needs for seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and post-harvest product distribution. We hope that all the support and training given to the farmers could help them improve the farming industries in Pero Village and Southwest Sumba Regency.