Kedungkandang (malangkota.go.id) – Having potential prospects for development due to simple cultivation techniques and promising selling prices, Heru S. Dediyanto, an organic farmer in Cemorokandang cultivates Butternut Pumpkin or known as Honey Pumpkin.
The resident of Jl Palmerah, Malang City, said that currently the demand for butternut pumpkin to his garden continues to increase. In fact, in terms of price, he said it was quite high at Rp15.000 per kilogram from farmers. "The demand for butternut pumpkin is currently very high, but the stock for organic is very limited," explained Heru, Monday (17/10/2023).
In addition to its good price, Heru said butternut pumpkin has the advantage of having good storage life. "As long as it is harvested in a really old condition, it will last. So the stem when harvested is already dry, it can be stored for up to a year," Heru explained again.
With a very good storage capacity, Heru admitted that he has more freedom to cultivate butternut pumpkin because he can always sell it at a good price. Heru currently has three locations for cultivating butternut pumpkin, and continues to look for new land to expand his business.
"It is difficult to get land in Malang City now, so I look in the outskirts to get land that suits my wishes," explained Heru.
Facing the long dry season like now, Heru admitted that the most important thing is to routinely water the plants and provide organic fertilizer.
"Especially in the early stages of planting, to produce good plants and abundant fruit, good fertilization must be done properly. That is the key to butternut pumpkin plants being able to bear abundant fruit," said Heru.
Furthermore, Heru said the advantages of the buttenut pumpkin he cultivated were its sweet taste and soft texture. He said this was because the seeds used were superior seeds, the use of good organic fertilizer, and the right harvest time. (cah/yon)
