Design Model of Seaweed Bank as an Alternative to Rural Microfinance Institutions

This study aims to create a design model of Seaweed Bank. Seaweed banks are designed by combining the financing model of Cooperatives and Banking, but both the initial and subsequent deposits are not in cash, but in the form of commodities (dried seaweed).The study was conducted from 2017 to May 2018 (four seaweed seasons). The results showed that farmers' revenue (with set aside 5 percent per Planting Season of total revenue) amounted to US$ 433 per year per farmer or US$ 107.161 from 300 farmers. During the famine season, farmers no longer borrow funds from patron but farmers can take it from Seaweed Bank. Farmers' need of seed that can be provided as much as US$ 96.435 or as many as 296 ropes per farmer and still remaining balance of saving as much as US$ 199.239 in the village. At the normal price US$ 0,942 per kg of dried seaweed there is an addition to the total seaweed value as much as US$ 199.239, which will impact the expected year-end saving to be as much as US$ 18.430