International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12

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 Volume 13, Issue 2 (February 2026), Pages: 1-9

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 Original Research Paper

Analysis of the agribusiness potential of natural dye plants in supporting the environmentally friendly ulos cloth industry in North Sumatra, Indonesia

 Author(s): 

 Sugito Sugito 1, *, Adelina Lubis 1, Rizki Muliono 2, Ihsan Effendi 1, Dhian Rosalina 3

 Affiliation(s):

  1Master Program of Management, Universitas Medan Area, Medan, Indonesia
  2Informatics Engineering Study Program, Universitas Medan Area, Medan, Indonesia
  3Department of Management, Universitas Samudra, Langsa, Aceh, Indonesia

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9729-926X

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.02.001

 Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the potential of natural dye plant agribusiness in supporting the development of an environmentally friendly ulos cloth industry in Tarutung, North Sumatra. A quantitative approach was applied using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with data collected from 142 respondents, including natural dye plant farmers, ulos cloth craftsmen, and related business actors. The analyzed variables include Agribusiness Potential (AP), Availability of Raw Materials (RM), Institutional Support (IS), and Market Access (MA) as mediating variables influencing the development of the environmentally friendly ulos cloth industry (EF). Data were processed using LISREL software. The results show that the availability of raw materials, market access, and training have a significant effect on the potential of natural dye plant agribusiness. Furthermore, agribusiness potential is found to be a strong mediating factor in enhancing the development of the environmentally friendly ulos cloth industry. These findings emphasize the need to strengthen the upstream agribusiness sector through integrated policies, technology, and market strategies to support the sustainability of the traditional textile industry.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

 Natural dye agribusiness, Ulos cloth industry, Structural equation modeling, Market access, Sustainable textiles

 Article history

 Received 26 June 2025, Received in revised form 2 December 2025, Accepted 24 January 2026

 Acknowledgment

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi, Sains, dan Teknologi Republik Indonesia (Kemdiktisaintek) and DRTPM (Direktorat Riset, Teknologi, dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat) for the support and funding provided through the Regular Fundamental Research Scheme for our research. This support is very significant for our efforts to explore the potential of sustainable natural dye plant agribusiness and support cultural and environmental preservation through the eco-friendly ulos cloth industry in North Sumatra. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

This study involved human participants through the distribution of structured questionnaires to farmers, craftsmen, and business actors engaged in the natural dye plant agribusiness and the ulos cloth industry. Ethical considerations were strictly observed to ensure that the research adhered to the principles of integrity, respect, and confidentiality. Prior to data collection, all participants were informed about the purpose of the study, the voluntary nature of their participation, and their right to withdraw at any stage without any consequences. Informed consent was obtained from all respondents before completing the questionnaire.

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

 Sugito S, Lubis A, Muliono R, Effendi I, and Rosalina D (2026). Analysis of the agribusiness potential of natural dye plants in supporting the environmentally friendly ulos cloth industry in North Sumatra, Indonesia. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(2): 1-9

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 Figures

  Fig. 1 

 Tables

  Table 1  Table 2

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