FAKTOR-FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUHI PARTISIPASI PETANI PADI SAWAH DALAM KEGIATAN PENYULUHAN DI DESA SINDANG KASIH KABUPATEN KONAWE SELATAN

Abstrak

Farmer participation in agricultural extension activities is an important factor determining the effectiveness of the extension process, as farmers’ involvement is required in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of extension activities. However, the participation of lowland rice farmers in extension activities in Sindang Kasih Village continues to face several constraints, including limited time due to off-farm occupations and suboptimal involvement in extension activities. This study aimed to analyze the factors influencing lowland rice farmers’ participation in agricultural extension activities in Sindang Kasih Village, Ranomeeto Barat District, South Konawe Regency. A quantitative approach with a survey method was employed. The study population consisted of 129 lowland rice farmers, from which 56 respondents were selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews and analyzed using descriptive analysis and multiple linear regression. The independent variables included age, education, farming experience, number of dependents, landholding size, and cosmopolitanism, while farmer participation in extension activities was the dependent variable. The results showed that farmer participation remained low across all stages of extension activities, with participation rates of 43% in planning, 41% in implementation, and 46% in evaluation. Simultaneously, age, education, farming experience, number of dependents, landholding size, and cosmopolitanism significantly influenced farmer participation, with an R-square value of 0.670. Partially, age had a negative and significant effect on participation, whereas education, farming experience, and cosmopolitanism had positive and significant effects. In contrast, the number of dependents and landholding size had no significant effects. Increasing farmer participation requires extension strategies that consider farmers’ characteristics, particularly education, farming experience, age, and openness to information sources. Adaptive extension approaches that account for these characteristics are expected to enhance farmers’ involvement at each stage of extension activities and support the effectiveness of agricultural extension programs at the local level. Farmers’ social characteristics and capacity to access information should therefore be considered when determining extension approaches, methods, and materials. Extension workers need to strengthen farmer-oriented communication, expand access to relevant information, and encourage farmer involvement from needs identification through activity evaluation. Thus, agricultural extension should not merely focus on information delivery but also facilitate participatory and sustainable learning processes.

Kata kunci

• Cosmopolitanism
• Farmer Engagement
• Socioeconomic Characteristics