The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on Aglaonema farming income: a comparison between the height and the post trend

Abstract

The expansion of the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 to 2021 has weakened the performance of critical industries in Indonesia. Aglaonema as one of the ornamental plants had a surge in demand as part of the farming industry until its height in 2020. Currently, the response to the demand for ornamental plants has declined considerably. This study discussed the revenue and income of Agla- onema farming during two periods, at height and the post of the COVID-19 pandemic, and analyzed the distribution of inputs data as information related to the allocation of production. The respondents comprised 32 active farmers from the Aglaonema commu- nity (ASA) in Depok City, who produced 10 varieties of premium Aglaonema, namely Super Pink, Suksom Jaipong, Khanza, Lotus Delight, Audrey, Tiara, Widuri, Adelia, Bidadari, and Pride of Sumatra. The data was collected from June to November 2022 using the recall method to tabulate data in 2020 (the year of the height of COVID-19 pandemic) and 2022 (the year of the post COVID-19 pandemic). The R/C ratio was used as a profit indicator by considering the implicit and explicit costs. The findings revealed that Aglaonema farming in Depok City was highly profitable at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, evidenced by an R/C ratio of 7.50. The R/C ratio has changed in 2022 value to 1.79, indicating a decline in farming profitability. Suppose the farmers pay the implicit costs in the current situation, the farming becomes less profitable as shown by the return value which is just slightly above the break-even point.