Congratulations continue to pour in for Dr. Kartika Hidayati, the 118th Doctoral Graduate from the Islamic Economics Study Program, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Airlangga, after completing the Open Defense/Examination for the Islamic Economics Doctoral Program, on Thursday, January 28, 2021.

Starting from a concern about the fate of corn farmers in Lamongan Regency, Kartika Hidayati poured out all her dreams to participate in finding solutions to overcome the root of the poverty problem of corn farmers in Lamongan, in her dissertation entitled "Financing in a Sharia Perspective for Corn Farming in Lamongan".

(From left to right: Promoter: Prof. Dr. Muslich Anshori, SE., M.Sc., Ak and Co-Promoter: Prof. Drs. Tjiptohadi Sawarjuwono, SE., M.Ec., Ph.D., Ak at the Open Examination of the Islamic Economics Doctoral Program via zoom meeting)

Corn, apart from being the second largest agricultural commodity in Lamongan Regency after rice, corn production in Lamongan Regency also ranks second after Tuban Regency.

However, while corn is a mainstay commodity for Lamongan Regency, the plight of corn farmers in the area is not. Kartika Hidayati witnessed the opposite in the field. High corn production was not significantly accompanied by improved welfare for corn farmers in the area.

From her frequent fieldwork, Kartika Hidayati (Deputy Regent of Lamongan – Active) discovered that one of the 27 sub-districts in Lamongan Regency, namely Kedungpring Sub-district, is the only sub-district where the average farmer is poor, where the average agricultural land ownership is very small, less than 0.5 ha, for this reason the area was chosen as a pilot area in Kartika Hidayati's research in applying corn farming financing using a sharia-based financing system.

Kartika's choice of a sharia-based financing system is not without reason. To date, poor farmers have preferred to borrow from loan sharks to begin their production activities. Based on Kartika Hidayati's observations, farmers prefer to borrow money from loan sharks, given the ease of access they offer. Farmers don't need to leave their jobs to obtain loans, as loan sharks can come directly to their homes. Disbursement of funds also doesn't take long. Furthermore, in addition to the habit of small farmers borrowing money from loan sharks, most farmers still use the ijon (credit bond) system to sell their agricultural produce; all of which, of course, will not improve their welfare.

So, to be able to implement all her dreams in participating in improving the welfare of corn farmers in Lamongan Regency in a real way, through her idea to implement a sharia-based financing system, Kartika Hidayati does not want to just stop at the exam and get good grades; but Kartika hopes that the results of her research can be directly responded to by policy makers. In her open session chaired by Prof. Dr. Dian Agustia, SE., MSi., Ak., CMA., CA., with Promoter: Prof. Dr. Muslich Anshori, SE., M.Sc., Ak; Co-Promoter: Prof. Drs. Tjiptohadi Sawarjuwono, SE., M.Ec., Ph.D., Ak, and other supporters, Kartika Hidayati also invited several academic guests, who have the authority to make policies, including: Dra. Hj. Khofifah Indar Parawansa, M.Si (Governor of East Java); Dr. (HC) Drs. H. Abdul Halim Iskandar, M.Pd (Minister of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia); Arzeti Bilbina, SE., MAP (Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives); Dra. Hj. Safira Machrusah, MA (Ambassador of Algeria); Drs. KH. Marzuki Mustamar, M.Si (Chairman of the East Java PWNU).

Furthermore, Kartika Hidayati explained that sharia-based financing is a financing system that will be able to address the root cause of poverty among corn farmers in Lamongan Regency, because farmers will be able to increase their productivity. Kartika Hidayati further explained that the mudharabah-murabahah scheme is a good financing scheme to be implemented for farmers, because through this financing system, farmers are proven to be able to feel justice, feel blessings in their sustenance, feel the existence of laws that bind them both, both farmers and loan owners. In addition, farmers also feel that they are not disadvantaged, meaning that if farmers are experiencing losses, the losses are not only borne by the farmers themselves, but also become the responsibility of the loan owner. Moreover, farmers can feel the benefits more when there is market guarantee assistance for their main harvest.

 

Kartika Hidayati added that if the mudharabah-murabahah financing scheme is established as a government policy, the salam contract should be added to it in the future, thereby providing greater benefits to smallholder farmers. This agricultural financing model, based on the salam contract, carries the lowest risk between farmers and the loan holder (Islamic banking or Islamic cooperatives). 

 

Of course, this dream will not be easily realized without the full support of the government, from upstream to downstream. As Deputy Regent of Lamongan, Kartika Hidayati is well aware that without government intervention, from both the regional and central levels, this will be difficult to realize. Therefore, Kartika Hidayati is very aware that it is the government's duty to collaborate with all Islamic banks, as well as Islamic actors, such as Islamic cooperatives/BMTs and so on, to jointly provide education/provide outreach to the community on a massive scale. The government has a full obligation to provide protection to the community, especially here, corn farmers. The government is obliged to provide massive support through established regulations, because with regulations, everything will be well controlled.

 

(Minister of Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr (HC). Drs. H. Abdul Halim Iskandar, M.Pd, when joining the Open Session of the Doctoral Program in Islamic Economics via zoom meeting with the Chair of the Session – Prof. Dr. Dian Agustia, SE., MSi., Ak., CMA., CA and Promovenda – Kartika Hidayati)

 

Through effective regulation, this policy will not only benefit corn farmers in Lamongan Regency, but also throughout East Java, and perhaps even Indonesia. Therefore, extensive outreach requires the involvement of regional and central leaders, at the district, provincial, and national levels, and this will be translated into policy in the form of regulations.

 

Drs. KH. Marzuki Mustamar, M.Si – Chairman of the East Java PWNU, also appealed to all policymakers regarding the importance of national food security so as not to depend on foreign countries; policies for land use, farm labor wages, regulations for abandoned plots of land, utilization of surrounding forests with intercropping, so that our country remains sovereign in the food sector.

 

(Drs. KH. Marzuki Mustamar, M.Si – Chairman of PWNU East Java, in his appeal, while joining the open session of the Islamic Economics Doctoral Program via zoom meeting with Promoter: Prof. Dr. Muslich Anshori, SE., M.Sc., Ak, Chair of the Session – Prof. Dr. Dian Agustia, SE., MSi., Ak., CMA., CA and Promovenda – Kartika Hidayati)

 

Kartika Hidayati (Deputy Regent of Lamongan Regency, who also serves as Chair of IKA – UNAIR for Lamongan Regency), hopes that through the People's Representatives at the Center, this research can be an inspiration to be fought for as a state policy, starting from the Center and still together with the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Airlangga, to continue to be able to develop this research and implement it in real terms to the community, so that the benefits can be felt directly by the community.

(Arzeti Bilbina, SE., MAP – Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives; also participated in accommodating aspirations and brilliant ideas in the Open Session of the Islamic Economics Doctoral Program, via zoom meeting with the Chair of the Session – Prof. Dr. Dian Agustia, SE., MSi., Ak., CMA., CA. and Promovenda – Kartika Hidayati)

Hopefully this research can bring blessings to the nation and state. 

Keep fighting and working, O Airlangga Knight.

Make your promise of service to your homeland and your nation come true.

 

FEB ONE

GREAT UNAIR

EXCELLENCE WITH MORALITY FOR INDONESIA

https://rolasnews.com/2021/01/28/financing-in-a-sharia-perspective-for-corn-agriculture-in-lamongan/

 

(diwl)