Food Brigade Strategy to Increase Paddy Production in Aceh Province

The agricultural sector in Simeulue Regency faces challenges including low productivity, limited infrastructure, and high dependence on external funding. The Food Brigade Program (Program Brigade Pangan) was established as a strategic initiative to enhance production efficiency through the collective management of land areas of at least 200 hectares, supported by adaptive agricultural technology. This study aims to identify internal and external factors influencing rice production enhancement and to formulate development strategies for the Food Brigade Program in Simeulue Regency. The research method employed is a descriptive-quantitative survey using purposive sampling of seven Food Brigade groups, involving a total of 105 respondents. Data analysis was conducted by identifying internal and external environmental factors, evaluated using the Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) and External Factor Evaluation (EFE) matrices, followed by strategy formulation through SWOT analysis. The results indicate that the program's primary strengths lie in the availability of extensive land, adequate water resources (pump irrigation), and high community interest in agricultural innovation. However, the program is constrained by unsustainable monitoring systems and low technology literacy among traditional farmers. The recommended strategy is an aggressive strategy (growth- oriented strategy) utilizing the Strengths-Opportunities (S-O) approach. The implementation of this strategy includes the Land Optimization Program (OPLA) to increase the Cropping Index (IP) from 2 to 2.5, and institutional strengthening through Farmer Field Schools (Sekolah Lapang) and partnerships with post-harvest processing industries. Additionally, diversification of water-saving irrigation systems ("Solar Drip Reservoir System") is required to mitigate climate change impacts, alongside the revitalization of local wisdom such as Kono Lada through Qanun regulations to protect sustainable agricultural land. The integration of technological modernization, cooperative financial independence, and strengthened digital coordination is expected to ensure food sovereignty and farmer welfare in Simeulue Regency.