Competitiveness, Policy Impact, and Sensitivity of Rice Farming in Indihiang District, Tasikmalaya City

Abstract

Rice is the most strategic food crop and the main livelihood of most Indonesian farmers, yet domestic production faces volatile output, recurring imports, and farm-gate prices that frequently fall below the government floor price; in urban- fringe areas such as Indihiang District, rice farming is further pressured by land conversion and a dominant share-tenancy system. This study aims to analyze the competitiveness, the impact of government policy, and the sensitivity of rice farming in Indihiang District, Tasikmalaya City. Data were collected from 55 farmers selected through simple random sampling and analyzed using the Policy Analysis Matrix; social prices were estimated through the import-parity method, with the world milled-rice price converted to a paddy equivalent using the milling yield. Rice farming was competitive at market prices but was not comparatively efficient, as its social profit was negative, mainly because of the dominant share-tenancy land cost and the 2026 surge in world fertilizer prices; government policy was protective through both input subsidies and output protection from imports, while the sensitivity analysis showed that competitiveness was fragile to production losses yet resilient to input-cost increases. Rice farming in the study area is financially competitive but economically inefficient without policy support; therefore, improving productivity and managing production risk are essential to strengthen its comparative advantage and reduce dependence on protection.