PEMANFAATAN LAHAN KOSONG DAN PEKARANGAN MELALUI PEMBERDAYAAN PETANI TOMAT DI DESA BULANJAHE KECAMATAN BARUSJAHE.

Abstract

Vacant land or yard is an agricultural area that is left unattended, without any utilization of the land. Most of the vacant land or yards are owned by the government or certain agencies that are not used for any purpose. One of the problems faced in efforts to increase agricultural production is the occurrence of land conversion which is getting faster every year. For example, the conversion of agricultural land into industry, settlements, roads and others. Land that has not been used for productive agricultural activities can be categorized as vacant land or yards. Land use is a key term in the language of urban planning. Generally, jurisdictional politics will carry out land use planning and regulate land use in an effort to avoid land use conflicts. Utilizing vacant land or yard, Lintong Julu, promote it by planting tomatoes. This is also in line with market demand which has been increasing recently. "By utilizing vacant land or yards that are usually left empty, we can increase people's income in the future. Moreover, the need for tomatoes is currently increasing among household needs. In the activity of utilizing vacant land or yards, his party in collaboration with the local government has carried out various innovations including embracing farmers so they want to turn their land into a tomato garden. Moreover, Barus Jahe District, where the majority are farmers and breeders, of course, really needs tomatoes as household needs. With the supply of tomatoes, at least it can reduce the increase in the price of household needs. This program for utilizing vacant land or yard can have three benefits simultaneously, namely increasing conservation values, economic values, and food security values. The details are explained as follows: 1) Conservation value, namely environmental conservation, where vacant land or yards (empty land) can be used as water catchment areas by making biopore infiltration holes, so that each piece of land will be able to conserve water. This will help recharge water into the ground so that it will become a reserve for community needs during the dry dry season. 2) Economic value, namely through increasing agribusiness entrepreneurship, where the use of vacant land or yards or vacant land by planting tomatoes, coffee and other types of vegetables will bring economic benefits to the family. First, the need for food and vegetables with high quality, nutritious and safe standards can be fulfilled by oneself without having to buy from outside. Moreover, if it is carried out intensively, it can produce greater economic value because housewives can sell household agricultural products to the market. Second, the use of vacant land or yards or vacant land does not require a lot of money because it is supported by the use of simple applied technology, such as making your own organic fertilizer. 3) The value of food security, through planting horticultural crops such as tomatoes, coffee and vegetables will guarantee household food security.