Palm Sugar Farmers' Approach To Facing Marketing Challenges In Mambu Village, Luyo District
JEL Classification: Q13; Q12; M31; O33; R11.
Abstract
This study examines the approaches adopted by palm sugar farmers in addressing marketing challenges in Mambu Village, Luyo District, Polewali Mandar Regency, Indonesia. The research employed a qualitative descriptive approach involving 15 informants selected through purposive sampling, consisting of palm sugar farmers with at least two years of production experience and direct involvement in marketing activities. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, direct observation, and documentation, and were validated using source triangulation involving farmers, collectors, and community leaders. The findings reveal that palm sugar farmers possess several strengths, including high production capacity (10–15 tons per month), distinctive molded palm sugar products weighing approximately 1 kg per piece, and consistently high market demand. However, these advantages are constrained by structural weaknesses, particularly farmers' complete dependence on tengkulak as the sole marketing channel, low digital literacy, limited product storage capacity, and the absence of sugar palm replanting practices. The SWOT analysis identified increasing external demand and the expansion of digital marketing platforms as major opportunities, while monopsony pricing, market fluctuations, and declining raw material sustainability were identified as the principal threats. Based on these findings, four adaptive marketing strategies were formulated using the TOWS framework, including market expansion through digital platforms, strengthening product differentiation, improving digital capabilities and packaging, and reinforcing local institutional collaboration through farmer groups and Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes). These strategies are expected to enhance farmers' bargaining power, improve marketing efficiency, and promote the long-term sustainability of the palm sugar industry.
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