Pendampingan Komunitas Petani Tanaman Pangan Dusun Silimapuluh dengan Pendekatan Penyuluhan

Abstract

Permasalahan petani Dusun Silimapuluh meliputi pengurangan alokasi pupuk kimia bersubsidi di Kabupaten Simalungun pada tahun 2023, masalah kesuburan tanah di Dusun Silimapuluh, serta banyaknya hama tikus di lahan pertanian milik para petani di Dusun Silimapuluh. Alternatif yang ditawarkan peneliti untuk membantu petani di Dusun Silimapuluh dalam mengatasi permasalahan tersebut mencakup pembuatan pupuk organik berbasis Mikro Organisme Lokal (MOL), penerapan ameliorasi, dan sistem polikultur, serta pengendalian hama tikus. Langkah-langkah tersebut tidak hanya diharapkan mampu meningkatkan produktivitas pertanian, tetapi juga penting untuk menjaga keseimbangan ekosistem agar tetap lestari. Tujuan penelitian yaitu mengidentifikasi permasalahan utama yang dihadapi oleh komunitas petani di wilayah penelitian, menguraikan pendampingan yang dilakukan terhadap komunitas petani tanaman pangan Dusun Silimapuluh, mengevaluasi efektivitas pendampingan komunitas petani dengan pendekatan penyuluhan dalam meningkatkan, produktivitas dan kesejahteraan petani, menganalisis faktor-faktor yang mendukung keberhasilan pendampingan komunitas petani dengan pendekatan penyuluhan. Data dikumpulkan dengan metode FGD, wawancara, observasi, kuesioner, pretest dan postest, serta dokumentasi. Kegiatan penyuluhan dilakukan dengan sosialisasi pemaparan materi dan demonstrasi cara di lahan milik petani di Dusun Silimapuluh. Tingkat kehadiran petani dalam setiap kegiatan penyuluhan memiliki rata-rata sebesar 83%. Tingkat pengetahuan petani terhadap MOL mengalami peningkatan sebesar 57%, tingkat pengetahuan petani terhadap pengapuran tanah sebesar 62%, tingkat pengetahuan petani terhadap alat emposan sebesar 66%. Hasil interpretasi persepsi petani terhadap kegiatan penyuluhan sebesar 91,44% dengan kategori sangat tinggi.

The issues faced by farmers in Dusun Silimapuluh include the reduction of subsidized chemical fertilizer allocations in Simalungun Regency in 2023, soil fertility problems in Dusun Silimapuluh, and the prevalence of rat pests on the agricultural land owned by farmers in Dusun Silimapuluh. The alternatives proposed by researchers to assist the farmers in overcoming these challenges include the production of organic fertilizers based on Local Microorganisms (MOL), the application of amelioration, polyculture systems, and pest control for rats. These steps are expected not only to increase agricultural productivity but also to be crucial in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem for sustainability. The objectives of this research are to identify the main problems faced by the farming community in the research area, describe the assistance provided to the food crop farmers' community in Dusun Silimapuluh, evaluate the effectiveness of the assistance using an extension approach in improving farmers' productivity and welfare, and analyze the factors supporting the success of the community assistance program using the extension approach. Data was collected through focus group discussions (FGD), interviews, observations, questionnaires, pretests and posttests, as well as documentation. The extension activities were carried out by presenting materials and demonstrating methods on the farmers' land in Dusun Silimapuluh. The average attendance rate of farmers in each extension activity was 83%. Farmers' knowledge of MOL increased by 57%, their knowledge of soil liming by 62%, and their knowledge of pest control tools (emposan) by 66%. The interpretation of farmers' perceptions of the extension activities reached 91.44%, categorized as very high.