Pembangunan Kawasan Agropolitan Dataran Tinggi Bukit Barisan dan Pengaruhnya terhadap Pengembangan Perekonomian Wilayah

Abstract

The high-land region of Bukit Barisan covering the regencies of Karo, Dairi, Pakpak Bharat, Simalungun, Tapanuli Utara, Humbang Hasundutan, Toba Samosir and Samosir are particular local economic development based on agriocultural and is objected to improve the rural and supported by urban economic growth and its surrounding. The similarities such as agro-climate, traditional culture and commodity of each regency resulting the agropolitan (agriculture city) area as an important region in economic development of North Sumatra Province. In order to accelerate the agribusiness based rural development and to improve the competitiveness of agricultural products, the Central Government of Indonesia (Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of public works Departments and other related departments) promote seriously an Integrated Regional Development known as Kawasan Agropolitan Dataran Tinggi Bukit Barisan Sumatera Utara (North Sumatra Bukit Barisan High Land Agropolitan Area). The region is expected to promote the regional economy through better performance of Agropolitan development. The performance of agropolitan area is indicated from various variables such as economy, infrastructure, institutional, individual and their influence on the regional economic development of Bukit Barisan Highland. The research questions are a) How do the variables of economy, infrastructure, institutional and individual influence the production of plantation ; b) How do the variables of economy, infrastructure, institutional and individual influence the production of horticulture ; c) How do the variables of economy, infrastructure, institutional and individual influence the production of food and crops; d) How do the variables of economy, infrastructure, institutional and individual influence the development of Agropolitan area of Bukit Barisan Highland; e) How do the influence of plantation production, horticulture, food and crops on to the development of Agropolitan area of Bukit Barisan Highland; f) How the influence of economy, infrastructure, institutional, individual and the agropolitan development on the regional economy of Bukit Barisan Highland. The objectives of this study are a) to know the partial and simultaneous influence of variables such as economy, infrastructure, institutional and individual on the development of the agropolitan area; b) to reveal the influence of agropolitan area development on the regional economy development; c) to know the influence of agropolitan performance on the plantation production, horticulture, food and crops; d) to explain the influence of economy, influence of economy, infrastructure, institutional and individual on horticulfure; e) to explain the influence of economy, infrastructure, institutional and individual on food and crops; f) to reveal the influence of economy, infrastructure, institutional, individual plantation production, horticulture, food, crops and agropolitan area development on the regional economy of Bukit Barisan Highland. A linear regression with linear structural relationship (LISREL) is applied in research method of this study. This research showed that such variables as economy, infrastructure, institutional and individual have significant influence on agropolitan area development. The influence of farming-work production by superior commodity product of plantation, horticulture, food and crops are significant on the agropolitan development. The variables of economy, infrastructure, institutional, individual, plantation production, horticulture, food and crops as well as the agropolitan development have significant influence on the regional economy development of Bukit Barisan highland. By supporting that such variables as economy, infrastructure, institutional and individual, the policy of agropolitan area development as the acceleration of rural economic development should be supported towards income generating of the farmers, labor absorption, performance of agropolitan. The agropolitan area, however, is expected to be an agricultural prime mover of regional economic development of North Sumatra Province in the future.