Planting Time, Market Prices, and Economic Performance of Curly Red Chili Farming: Evidence from Pidie Regency, Indonesia

Abstract

Planting time may influence the economic performance of chili farming because it affects both production conditions and the period when harvested products enter the market. This study examined differences in productivity, selling price, and estimated economic margin across planting periods and explored farmers’ considerations when determining planting time. A retrospective survey was conducted in July 2026 involving 72 curly red chili farmers in Pidie, Sakti, and Tangse subdistricts, Pidie Regency, Indonesia. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Kruskal–Wallis test, Mann–Whitney U post-hoc comparisons, Spearman correlation, and multivariate regression. The results showed that April–June had the highest productivity at 29.27 tons/ha but the lowest selling price at IDR 17,000/kg. In contrast, July–September had lower productivity at 19.58 tons/ha but generated the highest estimated economic margin at IDR 797.00 million/ha. Productivity was negatively correlated with selling price (ρ = −0.652), while selling price was positively correlated with economic margin (ρ = 0.607). After planting period and location were taken into account, productivity remained positively associated with economic margin. Only 34.7% of farmers considered selling prices before planting, although 94.4% reported having experienced an unfavorable planting time because of the selling price received and 93.1% were interested in planting-time information. These findings indicate that planting-time decisions should consider both production potential and expected market conditions at harvest.