STRATEGI PENGEMBANGAN GABUNGAN KELOMPOK TANI DALAM MENDUKUNG AKTIVITAS USAHATANI PADI DI KAWASAN TRANSMIGRASI MAHALONA SULAWESI SELATAN

Abstract

Kawasan Transmigrasi Mahalona di Kabupaten Luwu Timur dikembangkan sebagai kawasan pertanian dengan padi sebagai komoditas utama. Petani di Desa Kalosi menghadapi keterbatasan sarana produksi, serangan hama, kondisi irigasi dan jalan yang belum memadai, serta harga gabah yang ditentukan pembeli. Gabungan Kelompok Tani (Gapoktan) Kalosi Makmur dibentuk untuk menangani permasalahan secara bersama, namun kegiatan Gapoktan masih terbatas pada penyampaian informasi dan penyaluran bantuan sehingga usahatani padi tetap dijalankan secara perorangan. Penelitian bertujuan menganalisis kondisi pelaksanaan fungsi Gapoktan dalam mendukung aktivitas usahatani padi, mengidentifikasi hambatan pelaksanaan fungsi kelembagaan, menganalisis faktor internal dan eksternal yang memengaruhi pengembangan kelembagaan, serta menyusun strategi pengembangan kelembagaan untuk memperkuat peran Gapoktan. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif di Desa Kalosi, Kecamatan Towuti, Kabupaten Luwu Timur. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara mendalam, observasi, diskusi kelompok terarah, dan penelusuran dokumen terhadap 25 informan yang dipilih secara sengaja, terdiri atas pengurus dan anggota Gapoktan, penyuluh pertanian, kepala desa, dan pengurus badan usaha milik desa. Keabsahan data diperiksa dengan triangulasi sumber. Data dianalisis melalui kondensasi, penyajian, dan penarikan simpulan, kemudian dilanjutkan dengan penilaian faktor internal dan faktor eksternal, penetapan posisi kelembagaan, penyusunan alternatif strategi melalui analisis SWOT, dan penyusunan rencana kegiatan yang memuat program, kebutuhan sumber daya, serta urutan langkah. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan fungsi kelembagaan belum berjalan seimbang. Fungsi koordinasi berjalan melalui peran ketua dan pertemuan tudang sipulung, sedangkan penataan organisasi, administrasi, dan layanan ekonomi bersama belum berjalan. Hambatan internal berupa pemusatan kegiatan pada ketua, kehadiran anggota yang rendah, administrasi yang belum tertib, dan belum adanya unit usaha. Hambatan eksternal berupa pengurusan bantuan yang lambat, serangan hama, keterbatasan irigasi dan jalan, keterlambatan penyediaan sarana produksi, dan harga gabah yang rendah. Penilaian faktor menempatkan kelembagaan pada posisi tumbuh dan membangun dengan arah strategi memanfaatkan kekuatan untuk meraih peluang. Strategi pengembangan disusun dalam empat kelompok dan diturunkan menjadi rencana kegiatan bertahap, yaitu penataan pembagian peran dan administrasi pada tahap awal, dilanjutkan pembukaan layanan penyediaan sarana produksi, penyewaan alat, dan pemasaran gabah secara kolektif, serta penyampaian usulan irigasi dan kuota pupuk melalui musyawarah desa dan kerja sama dengan badan usaha milik desa dan perusahaan di kawasan.

The Mahalona Transmigration Area in East Luwu Regency has been developed as an agricultural area with rice as its main commodity. Farmers in Kalosi Village face limited access to production inputs, recurring pest attacks, inadequate irrigation and farm roads, and paddy prices determined by buyers. The Kalosi Makmur Farmer Group Association (Gapoktan) was established to address these problems collectively, yet its activities remain limited to delivering information and distributing aid, so rice farming is still carried out individually. This study aims to analyze the implementation of Gapoktan functions in supporting rice farming activities, identify obstacles in carrying out its institutional functions, analyze the internal and external factors affecting institutional development, and formulate an institutional development strategy to strengthen the role of Gapoktan. The study applied a descriptive qualitative approach in Kalosi Village, Towuti District, East Luwu Regency. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, focus group discussion, and document review involving 25 purposively selected informants, consisting of Gapoktan officers and members, agricultural extension workers, the village head, and officers of the village-owned enterprise. Data validity was checked by comparing information across sources. The data were analyzed through condensation, display, and conclusion drawing, followed by the assessment of internal and external factors, the determination of the institutional position, the formulation of alternative strategies through SWOT analysis, and the preparation of an activity plan covering programs, resource requirements, and procedural steps. The results show that the institutional functions have not run evenly. The coordination function operates through the role of the leader and the tudang sipulung meeting, while organizational arrangement, administration, and collective economic services are not yet running. Internal obstacles include the concentration of activities on the leader, low member attendance, disorderly administration, and the absence of a business unit. External obstacles include slow aid processing, pest attacks, limited irrigation and farm roads, delayed provision of production inputs, and low paddy prices. The factor assessment places the institution in a grow and build position, with a strategic direction of using its strengths to seize opportunities. The development strategy is arranged into four groups and translated into a staged activity plan, namely arranging the division of roles and administration in the early stage, followed by opening services for input provision, equipment rental, and collective paddy marketing, as well as submitting proposals for irrigation and fertilizer quotas through village deliberation and cooperation with the village-owned enterprise and the company operating in the area.