Abstract
The cultivation of elephant foot yams (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius), which used to be important substitutes for staple foods, is not common presently in West Java, except in Kuningan. In order to determine why people continue to cultivate elephant foot yams in the Kuningan District, 30 farmers, 2 middlemen and 12 merchants in the market were interviewed using questionnaires in November, 2001 and July, 2002.
More than 70% of the respondents cultivated elephant foot yams not only in home gardens, but also in upland fields and on the levees of paddy fields. Farmers who owned large home gardens had cultivated elephant foot yams over a long period of time for no particular reason. On the other hand, owners of small home gardens cultivated elephant foot yams deliberately in upland fields and on the levees of paddy fields. More than 70% of the respondents considered that the contribution of elephant foot yams to their household economy was negligible. More than 80% of the produce was used for self consumption, while the rest was given to neighbors or relatives. Most of the respondents (80%) replied that they liked elephant foot yams. Half of the respondents consumed 1 to 2 corms per year per capita, but the others consumed a larger number of corms. The number of elephant foot yams consumed per capita per year by the farmers was independent of the income level. This study suggests that a preference for elephant foot yams, the large size of home gardens, and the lower degree of urbanization in the Kuningan district were related to the decision by the farmers to cultivate elephant foot yams.
