The Effect of Market and Operational Risks on Farmers’ Interest in Honey Star Fruit Cultivation: The Moderating Role of Chili Farming in Banjar City

Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Siliwangi, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: candranuraini@unsil.ac.id

Abstract

Farmers' interest in honey star fruit farming in Banjar Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia has decreased. Farmers have difficulty replanting plants during the dry season because it requires high production cost. The research objective was to analyze operational risk, market risk, and chili farming as a substitution on farmers' interest in doing star fruit farming that could threaten the sustainability of star fruit farming. This was the case due to declining interest among farmers, who considered the star fruit market to be unfavorable and experienced difficulties in replanting and the decrease in production. The research was conducted ini Waringinsari Village, Langensari District because it was a center for star fruit production. The research method was quantitative, employing a census of 68 farmers, and data analysis techniques was Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA). The results described that operational and market risks affected farmers' interest, and farmers were more interested in growing chili peppers because they perceived continuous market demand and higher selling prices. Thus, chili farming served as a moderating variable that indicated substitution from star fruit farming and enhanced the influence of market and operational risks on farmers' interest. Farmers experienced more problems in cultivating star fruit than chili peppers.