Mang Dede’s nursery in Arjasari Village, Bandung Regency, West Java has been busy since the morning. The nursery is now nurturing 80,000 tomato seeds and 30,000 eggplant seedlings ordered by farmers from around Bandung Regency and other regions beyond West Java Province. With the support of funds obtained from the Yayasan Wadah Celebration of Life event on 19 August 2023, he added seven more seedling beds, bringing the total number of seedling nursery beds to twenty. Each bed varies in size and capacity; some can accommodate 12,000 seedlings, while others can accommodate 10,000. Additionally, Mang Dede also received financial support from the Celebration of Life event to renovate the nursery home and buy a hand tractor, which is helpful for his everyday tasks.

Expanding the business

In addition to growing his seedlings, Mang Dede also accepts seedlings from other farmers at Rp100.000 to Rp700.000 for each bed. Seeing an opportunity for further business development in the form of potential seedling sales, Mang Dede plans to build a nursery in the nearby villages of Cibeureum and Cililin. By renting the land for Rp15,000,000 per year, Mang Dede has calculated the profit that can be used to expand his business. He also plans to employ his son in law and siblings, who will be trained first, especially on how to manage finances. This will enable them to help manage his nursery business.

^{*Nurturing Tomato Seeds & Eggplants}

Paguyuban Lodeh and cross-subsidisation

Mang Dede is also an active member of Paguyuban Lodeh, an organisation that helps farmers sell their produce in the market at the right price. Through this organisation, farmers help each other by cross subsidising. If there are farmers who have low priced produce, they are subsidised by farmers who have good priced produce. This prevents any farmer from losing money. A deposit of Rp25,000 per kilogram of sales is made, which is used to subsidise fertiliser and plant medicines.

^{*Mang Dede’s nursery in Arjasari Village, Bandung Regency, West Java}

Hard work and dedication

Through hard work and dedication, Mang Dede’s income has tripled. This income is used, among other things, to pay for his children’s wedding and education costs, whilst some are saved, anticipating any urgent needs in the future.

Mang Dede’s inspiring story teaches us the importance of hard work, community support, and the willingness to grow. Thanks to dedication and collaboration, Mang Dede has managed to change his life and bring prosperity to his family and the community around him.

^{*Group Photo with Mang Dede’s Family}

Author: Sisilia Marieta
Editor: Zul Herman