Selling Grass and Animal Feed Plants, Village-style Business

When passing through rural roads, we often encounter piles of hay, weeds and cultivation, corn stalks, or trimmed leaves that are tied so neatly.

Some of the piles are placed under a fairly shady tree, some are placed in a stall or shop, even in front of the house.

This seemingly trivial thing is actually a village-style business with a fairly high economic value.

Namely the business of selling grass and fodder plants, especially goats, sheep, cattle, and horses.

Types of grass ranging from wild grass and cultivated grass, such as kalajana. While the leaves such as jackfruit leaves, calliandra, and turi for goat feed.

There is also straw or rice stalks and tebon or corn stalks that are still wet. If the straw is dry enough it must be fermented first.

While corn stalks or tebon are taken from corn plants that fail to harvest due to less than optimal growth.

Characteristics of crop failure corn is the height of the stem not more than 1.25 m with small and not wide leaves and small fruit with a diameter of not more than 8 cm.

Some are taken from corn which is specially grown for animal feed. Usually taken not from superior seeds and planted in bunds or gardens far from irrigation.

Merchants got grass, leaves, and hay from those who were looking to sell them. While kalajana grass and the like and corn tree trunks are obtained from farmers who plant or cultivate themselves.

The price of a bunch of weeds with a diameter of one hug from a farmer is between $1-$1.5 USD.

One hug hay costs $1 from a farmer and sells for $1.5.

The price of kalajana grass and odot one hug is $2.

While the price of leaves is slightly more expensive between $2-$3 USD because it is difficult to get by climbing and must buy from the plant owner.

Every day traders can sell between 10 and 20 bunches of grass and fodder crops. Even those who have better places and own vehicles to deliver to consumers can sell for around 30-40 bundles.

A lucrative village-style business.