Productivity of Siwalan Farmers in Madura (Past and Now): A Demographic Analysis

This study aims to analyze the productivity of siwalan farmers engaged in the production of brown sugar in Aeng Panas village, Madura, Indonesia. The analysis is conducted from social, historical, production, and demographic perspectives. The study seeks to reconstruct the productivity of Siwalan farmers through demographic analysis, highlighting the challenges posed by changes in the agricultural work environment over time, considering that the brown sugar business has been a part of their heritage. The method used is rapid ethnography, incorporating data collected through interviews. The study reveals that changes and expansion of land areas or the adoption of modern work safety technology do not influence the productivity of palm sugar farmers in brown sugar production. Instead, the productivity value is shaped by the labor structure pattern, the working class hierarchy, and the patriarchal mindset, which have undergone minimal changes over time. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding that productivity in this context is largely influenced by labor demographics, specifically the social patterns within the farmer’s work environment.