Determinants of Income and Asset Dynamics among Smallholder Sakub Sheep Farmers in Indonesia

Abstract Sakub sheep, a new breed originating from the Sakub Highland in Brebes Regency, holds significant potential to enhance farmers’ welfare. This study aims to evaluate the income and asset growth of Sakub sheep farmers and to determine the factors influencing these outcomes. Using a survey method, the research was conducted in the main Sakub sheep development areas, specifically in the Paguyangan and Sirampog sub-districts, with 125 farmers sampled through G*Power-3.1. The independent variables used to estimate income (Y1) and asset growth (Y2) included age, education, location, experience, farm distance, number of animals, animal source, number of children, family labor contribution, motivation, interest, and perception. Data were collected through interviews and exploration and analyzed descriptively and robust multiple linear regression. The results indicate that farmers have an average age of 43.46 years and 7.74 years of education, with the majority residing in Paguyangan. They possess an average of 14.55 years of experience, and the majority maintain barns located < 100 meters of their homes. Farmers typically keep an average of 8.98 animals, primarily sourced from breeding. On average, they have 2.02 children, while household members contribute 253.08 labor hours annually. Overall, farmers exhibit relatively low income and slow asset growth, averaging IDR 16,596,808 and IDR 13,328,800 per year. Income is positively affected by education, experience, the number of animals, and interest, but is negatively influenced by family labor contribution. In contrast, asset growth is positively influenced by the number of animals and perception and negatively affected by experience and family labor contribution.