{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1797996,
        "msgid": "maize-becomes-a-symbol-of-new-livelihood-for-farmers-in-west-bandung-1781175634",
        "date": "2026-06-11 17:12:00",
        "title": "Maize Becomes a Symbol of New Livelihood for Farmers in West Bandung",
        "author": "Ferry kisihandi",
        "source": "REPUBLIKA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Agriculture",
        "summary": "A national food security programme in West Bandung Regency has transformed idle land into thriving maize fields, offering a new source of income for local farmers. Facilitated by the Cimahi Police, the initiative has yielded over 377 tonnes of maize, with a significant portion purchased by the state logistics agency Bulog. The programme combines training, modern equipment, and direct market access to improve the economic welfare of the community.",
        "content": "<p>Maize plants stretch across Kanangasari Village, Cikalongwetan, West\nBandung Regency, West Java. The expanse of hybrid maize planted on\npreviously unproductive land has become a new source of livelihood for\nfarmers in the region. Among them is Ita Sumitra, 60, who has been a\nfarmer for decades. Her income was unpredictable, often only enough for\na day\u2019s meal. However, over the past four months, her fortunes have\nchanged. Idle lands that were once only overgrown with unproductive\nhardwood trees have been transformed into fertile maize fields, thanks\nto an initiative by the Cimahi Police. \u201cBefore this, I did odd jobs,\nanything as long as it was lawful. So, before joining the farming\nprogramme, we were given training first. Honestly, planting maize like\nthis is a first for me,\u201d said Ita on Thursday. Ita is not alone. She is\none of many local residents now pinning their hopes on this national\nfood security programme. Behind millions of maize stalks turning yellow,\nthere is the sweat and dreams of farmers wanting to improve their\nfamily\u2019s economic standing. \u201cThank God for the harvest. I am certainly\nhappy to be involved in farming maize here,\u201d she said. The head of the\nneighbourhood unit in Kanangasari Village, Entin Suhartini, said a total\nof about 50 residents participated in planting maize. Besides receiving\nwages, the farmers also get rice assistance. \u201cThank God this food\nsecurity programme has created jobs for farmers here. So besides wages,\nthey are also given 5 kilograms of rice,\u201d she said. To ensure the\nfarmers\u2019 efforts are fairly compensated, the Cimahi Police also\nfacilitates the direct absorption of their harvest by Bulog. As of June\n2026, the hard work of farmers on 334.50 hectares of land has produced\n377.5 tonnes of maize. A total of 165 tonnes have been officially\nabsorbed by Bulog because they meet high-quality standards. Furthermore,\nagricultural modernisation was also introduced to the residents. The\nfarmers were facilitated with tractor ploughs, NPK fertiliser, and\nsuperior hybrid seeds to make their work in the fields easier and their\nyields more bountiful. Cimahi Police Chief AKBP Niko Nurallah Adi Putra\nstated, \u201cThe police are present to contribute directly to the\ngovernment\u2019s strategic programmes. But most importantly, through this\ngrand harvest, we want the farmers\u2019 economy to improve. All assistance\nwe provide must be utilised as best as possible for their welfare.\u201d From\nan ambitious target of 1,700 hectares of land with a production goal of\n2,500 tonnes, this programme is slowly but surely proving one thing:\nwhen idle land is awakened and small communities are empowered, food\nsecurity is no longer just a slogan, but a reality that sustains\nlivelihoods.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/maize-becomes-a-symbol-of-new-livelihood-for-farmers-in-west-bandung-1781175634",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}