The North Aceh region has 28 types of vegetable commodities, and one of them is red chili.
Red chilies are vegetable commodities that have high economic value, and are suitable for planting in tropical areas such as the Ulee Madon region. Then what is the flow of the red chili plant cultivation from the beginning of the media preparation process, to the post-harvest process?
Kecamtan Muara Batu, is one of the vegetable centers in North Aceh, including the commodity chili. Based on statistical data in 2019, the production of red chili in Muara Batu District reached 5870 tons, from 586 hectares of land.
The production is not only to fulfill the market in Aceh, but also Medan. To maintain the availability and quality of red chilies, farmers in the village of Ulee Madon, Muara Batu Subdistrict, Aceh Utarahari Regency who are members of the Ulma Farmer group, regulate cropping patterns through integrated crop management technology, or PTP.
Well, in planting this red chili, there are several important steps that must be done in the initial stages. Namely the first is media preparation. Then the nursery, then the last one is the seeding.
Cultivation of red chilies is divided into several stages.
The initial stage starts from the preparation of the media, for the nursery.
The nursery medium is fine soil mixed with manure and Organic Powder Fertilizer, or POP.
Then leave the nursery media for 1 week, so that the mixture of soil and fertilizer is ripe, or ready to be used for sowing red chili seeds. After that the mixed soil is transferred to the beds that have been prepared beforehand.
The next stage, the red chili seeds are distributed to the beds that have been filled with media, in the form of fine soil mixed with fertilizer.
The red chili seeds are then left to stand for 20 days, or after forming two leaves.
After that, then move it to the planting area.
So, in the next stage, land preparation will be carried out, where the farmers will sprinkle basic fertilizer mixed with the soil, then proceed to the planting process.
The next stage of red chili cultivation is the transfer from ocher to planting land. The planting land is first cleared of weeds or weeds, then leveled and mixed with manure.
The planting area for red chilli seeds is made in the shape of beds, about 1 meter wide, 30 centimeters high, and 30-50 centimeters spaced between beds.
To reduce the growth of weeds, or weeds, the planting area is then covered with plastic musa.
The planting land that has been mixed with manure, covered with musa plastic, is then left to sit for a week, so that the soil mixed with manure is ripe, or ready for planting red chili seeds.
After the planting area has been idle for a week, the next step is to make the planting hole. To perforate the soil, red chilli farmers usually use a musa planting hole tool, which is made by themselves, in the form of a hollow iron which is given earthen charcoal on the inside.
Planting red chili seeds is carried out in each prepared planting hole. With a spacing of 60 × 20 centimeters, in the rainy season. And 50 × 20 centimeters, in the dry season.
In planting red chili seeds, what needs to be considered is the planting time, fertilization and irrigation.
Of course, the red chili seeds that have been planted in the planting area require maintenance, so that the plants produce quality red chilies.
Apart from fertilization, what needs to be considered is irrigation. Soil moisture needs to be maintained at a capacity of 8, or 60, to 80%.
The watering system is adapted to water conditions and land conditions. To increase the production, productivity, and quality of chilies in North Aceh Regency, especially in Muara Batu District. The Department of Agriculture and Food Security of North Aceh Regency, in collaboration with UPT and Agriculture for Food Security in the Lhokseumawe region, carries out various coaching.
Coaching is carried out, among others, by adjusting cropping patterns, so that harvesting can be done faster than usual.
"Where we all know that the current price of chilies is above the average price of 15 thousand-28 thousand, so with such an incident the Ministry of Agriculture always conducts market operations to stabilize prices. Therefore, perhaps farmers in this region in particular, we must be prepared. to stabilize prices by setting good cropping patterns, so that every month there is planting, every month there is a harvest, and every month there is also production that we can send to the market center of Medan and its surroundings."
After going through the stages of red chili cultivation, starting from seed preparation, nursery, land preparation, to planting. So, the red chilies are ready for harvest.
Finally, after waiting for 3 months, starting from seeding, planting, it was harvest time.
With a good cropping pattern, the first harvest can be done 60-75 days, or about two months after planting. Red chilies that are ready to be harvested have their own characteristics, including the flat red chili color.
With good planting patterns and care, it is hoped that the price of red chilies will remain stable, so that farmers do not suffer losses, due to the decline in people's purchasing power, and the welfare of farmers in North Aceh District, to increase.
Thus, hopefully it will benefit.
See you again.
** By @ midiagam **