Akat, Gaining Success with Shallots

KOMPAS/IQBAL BASYARI

Akat

Akat, 51, is not a typical shallot farmer. His concerns for and interest in the plant has encouraged him to experiment with growing new shallot varieties for more than three decades. He has produced seven new shallot varieties in Anjuk Ladang, Nganjuk, East Java. Thanks to his achievements, Nganjuk has now become a major source of shallot seeds.

Cultivating shallots is no easy matter. In addition to mastering cultivation techniques, it is also necessary to have shallot seeds suited for growing in the local environment. Not infrequently, shallot cultivation does not produce optimal yields because the selected variety is not suited to the endemic conditions.