Implementation of Julo-Julo Sawah as a Production Cost Control Strategy

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to (1) describe the implementation of the julo-julo sawah work system in farming activities in Nagari Katapiang, Batang Anai District, Padang Pariaman Regency; (2) analyze the impact of julo-julo sawah on the control of agricultural production costs; and (3) examine farmers' perceptions of julo-julo sawah as an alternative cost-saving mechanism.

Design/methodology/approach: This study employs a descriptive qualitative approach with a case study design conducted in Korong Tabek, Nagari Katapiang. Primary data were obtained through direct observation and semi-structured interviews with the head of the julo-julo group, group members, and community leaders, supplemented by secondary data from documentation. Data were analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification.

Findings: Julo-julo sawah continues to be practiced as an intergenerational form of reciprocal mutual-help labor without cash wages, conducted approximately once every four months following the planting-harvesting cycle, and managed through a simple organizational structure (chairperson, secretary, members) without formal financial record-keeping. The system is shown to reduce labor costs—the largest component of production costs—accelerate the completion of farm work, and is perceived positively by all informants as it saves costs while strengthening social solidarity, although participation has begun to decline due to modernization and a shift toward individualistic values.

Practical implications: The findings can serve as a reference for farmer groups and village (nagari) governments in designing empowerment programs based on local wisdom, including the importance of simple record-keeping for mutual-help activities to ensure accountability, and encouraging the regeneration of youth participation in traditional cooperative work systems proven to reduce farming costs.

Originality/value: This study contributes a novel perspective by explicitly linking the local wisdom practice of julo-julo sawah with the concepts of cost accounting and production cost control, an angle that has been largely overlooked in prior julo-julo studies, which have generally focused on sociological or general economic aspects.

Paper type: Empirical.