THE SUSTAINABILITY OF HYBRID CORN FARMING IN SOUTH BENGKULU REGENCY
South Bengkulu Regency has a commodity that
plays a role in economic development and provides multifunctional economic
value, one of which is hybrid corn. In 2022, the contribution of corn
production in South Bengkulu Regency reached 61,884 tons with a harvested area
of 9,444 hectares (Bengkulu Provincial Agriculture Office, 2023). Specifically,
in Seginim District and Kedurang Ilir District, which are the highest hybrid
corn-producing areas in South Bengkulu Regency. To stabilize hybrid corn
production in South Bengkulu Regency, it is necessary to develop sustainable
agriculture to ensure the existence and availability of hybrid corn stocks. The
sustainability analysis of corn farming in South Bengkulu Regency uses five
dimensions: social, environmental, economic, technology and infrastructure, and
institutions. This analysis is expected to evaluate the sustainability of
hybrid corn farming so that the issues hindering its sustainability in South
Bengkulu Regency can be addressed quickly and effectively. The objective of
this research is to determine the index and sustainability status of hybrid
corn farming in South Bengkulu Regency and to understand the interdependencies
between attributes in hybrid corn farming in the region. The methods used are
Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) and Prospective Analysis. The results indicate
that South Bengkulu Regency falls into the category of less sustainable, with
nine key attributes having a strong influence on the system.
