BUSINESS FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS AND ECONOMIC COMPARISON OF CONVENTIONAL AND HYDROPONIC PAK CHOI CULTIVATION IN NORTH ACEH REGENCY
Published:
2026-08-28Downloads
Abstract
This study aims to analyze and compare the productivity, profitability, and business feasibility (Break-Even Point and R/C Ratio) between conventional and Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponic pak choi cultivation systems on a controlled land area in North Aceh Regency. A comparative experimental method was utilized with a medium-term investment projection spanning 36 months (3 years). The results demonstrate that the hydroponic system yielded a fresh weight of 246 g/plant (a 290.48% increase compared to the conventional method). Financially, the hydroponic system recorded a net profit of IDR 1,310,824/cycle with an R/C Ratio of 1.18 and reached its Payback Period in the 13th cycle. Conversely, the conventional system generated a net profit of IDR 385,000/cycle with an R/C Ratio of 1.10. The production volume BEP analysis revealed that the hydroponic system (465.07 kg) maintains a higher risk safety buffer (14.98%) than the conventional system (268.33 kg; 8.73%). Cumulatively, the hydroponic system boosts medium-term profitability by 141.28%, establishing it as a highly prospective agribusiness model for lowland regions.
Keywords:
Agribusiness Break-Even Point Hydroponics Conventional Pak Choi Business Feasibility.References
Adnan, A., & Wijaya, S. (2021). Technical evaluation of long-term NFT hydroponics for lowland horticultural crops. Jurnal Teknologi Pertanian Tropis, 8(2), 45–52
Asmara, T., & Saputra, K. (2025). Comparative economic analysis of hydroponic vegetables in the lowlands of Aceh Province. Jurnal Agribisnis Indonesia, 13(1), 88–97.
Cahyanda, R. Q. (2022). Effect of hydroponic and conventional planting methods on the growth of romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and pak choi (Brassica rapa). Jurnal Bioindustri, 4(2), 109–118.
Fahmi, M., & Rizal, A. (2024). Horticulture market integration and premium price segmentation in the Lhokseumawe and North Aceh twin-market region. Jurnal Ekonomi Pertanian, 15(3), 201–212.
Gittinger, J. P. (1982). Economic analysis of agricultural projects (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press.
Handoko, P., & Utama, S. (2024). Physiology of rapid vegetative growth in Brassicaceae plants under soilless systems in tropical environments. Jurnal Agronomi, 22(1), 12–20.
Kadir, S. N., Imran, S., & Bempah, I. (2026). Comparative study on the feasibility of hydroponic versus conventional pak choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) farming. Jurnal Mimbar Agribisnis, 12(1), 658–665.
Lestari, D., & Wijaya, M. (2024). Impact of input price volatility on the safety margin of urban agricultural enterprises. Jurnal Keuangan Pertanian, 9(2), 115–123.
Nugroho, A., & Siregar, F. (2023). Spatial efficiency theory of capital-intensive urban agriculture. Ekonomi Manajerial Agribisnis, 7(4), 310–321.
Palupi, D. (2021). Comparison of the effectiveness of commercial hydroponic nutrients versus self-formulated nutrients in pakcoy cultivation. Jurnal Pucuk, 3(1), 28–36.
Perwitasari, B., Tripatmasari, M., & Wasonowati, C. (2012). Effect of growing media and nutrients on the growth and yield of pakchoi (Brassica juncea L.) using a hydroponic system. Agrovigor: Jurnal Agroekoteknologi, 5(1), 14–25.
Pratama, R., & Wardani, K. (2023). Break-even point and price sensitivity analysis of premium vegetable commodities in modern markets. Jurnal Akuntansi Pertanian, 11(2), 145–156.
Rachmawati, D. (2021). Utilization of hydroponics as a means of utilizing limited land for youth organizations (Karang Taruna). Jurnal Ikraith-Abdimas, 4(1), 61–64.
Ramadhan, A. (2025). Conventional vegetable supply chains and price bargaining pressure on lowland farmers. Jurnal Logistik Agribisnis, 14(1), 50–59.
Resdiana, F., Wagiono, W., & Suhaeni, S. (2022). Business feasibility and value-added analysis of packaged hydroponic pakcoy (Brassica rapa L.) (Case study of CV Spirit Wira Utama). Jurnal Ilmiah Wahana Pendidikan, 8(15), 243–254.
Saparinto, C. (2013). Grow your own vegetables: A practical guide to hydroponically growing 14 popular vegetables. Penebar Swadaya
Sastro, Y. (2020). Polymer degradation of hydroponic agricultural infrastructure in tropical lowland regions. Pasca-Sains Hortikultura, 14(2), 75–83.
Setiawan, B., & Pratama, M. (2024). Optimizing vertical space in urban farming using the A-Frame system. Jurnal Teknik Pertanian, 19(1), 34–42.
Sinaga, E. E. (2023). Feasibility evaluation of hydroponic bok choy and lettuce farming: A case study of Indigen Farm, Yogyakarta. Agroforetech: Jurnal Instiper, 1(2), 441–447.
Suhardiyanto, H. (2011). Environmental bioengineering for crop cultivation in greenhouses. IPB Press.
Suratiyah, K. (2015). Farm management science (Revised Edition). Penebar Swadaya.
Wardani, A. (2024). Analysis of horticultural commodity production capacity in soilless water-based systems (Master's Thesis, Syiah Kuala University).
Wibowo, S., & Utami, R. (2025). Open agricultural land layout and constraints regarding effective spatial limits of planting beds. Jurnal Lanskap Agribisnis, 10(2), 112–120.
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Lukman, Nelly Fridayanti

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.



