ISSN: 1412-8837 AGRISEP Vol. 10 No. 1 Maret 2011 Hal: 19-27|19 POTENSI MODAL PETANI DALAM MELAKUKAN PEREMAJAAN KARET DI KABUPATEN MUSI RAWAS SUMATERA SELATAN (FARMER CAPITAL POTENCIES FOR REPLANTING RUBBER PLANTATION IN MUSI RAWAS REGENCY SOUTH SUMATERA) Maya Riantini Jurusan Sosial Ekonomi Pertanian Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Lampung Email: mayaunila@yahoo.com ABSTRACT The research aims to estimate capital potencies owned by farmer for replanting their rubber plantation and optimum land size for replanting in order to get continuous income. The research was conducted in Kelurahan Muara Beliti market, Pedang Village and Muara Beliti Village, Muara Beliti Subdistrict, Musi Rawas Regency. These research area were chosen purposively. Using a survey approach, sisty farmers are selcted randomly using Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling and interviewed. The data were collected from March to April 2008. The resusearch result showed thatPotential Capital owned by farmer was Rp. 2,693,350.00 plus Rp. 5,000,00.00 as an income from selling old rubber wood so that total capital owned by farmer was Rp. 7,693,650. From the result of analysis using Linier Programming found that the optimum replanting area of rubber was 1,883 hectare with the income of Rp. 69.351.000. Meanwhile the human resources that were rarely found was family labor in which every unit addition of HOK will add the income of Rp. 117,000. Keywords: farmers’ capital, replanting, rubber plantation, potencies PENDAHULUAN Karet merupakan salah satu komoditi perkebunan penting, baik sebagai sumber pendapatan, kesempatan kerja dan devisa, pendorong pertumbuhan ekonomi sentra-sentra baru di wilayah sekitar perkebunan karet maupun pelestarian lingkungan dan sumberdaya hayati. Namun sebagai negara produsen dengan luas areal terbesar dan produksi kedua terbesar dunia, Indonesia masih menghadapi beberapa kendala, yaitu rendahnya produktivitas, terutama karet rakyat yang merupakan mayoritas (91%) areal karet nasional dan ragam produk olahan yang masih terbatas, yang didominasi oleh karet remah (crumb rubber) (Ditjen Bina Produksi Perkebunan, 2004). Propinsi Sumatera Selatan adalah salah satu propinsi yang memiliki luas perkebunan karet terbesar di Indonesia, sehingga merupakan penyumbang devisa bagi pemerintah untuk ekspor karet di Indonesia. Perkebunan karet di Sumatera Selatan, sebagian besar didominasi oleh perkebunan karet rakyat