Cyber extension sebagai media komunikasi dalam pemberdayaan petani sayuran

Abstract

Cyber extension is a communication mechanism of agricultural innovation by using new communication media that integrate information and communication technology in agricultural development. The objectives of the research are: 1) to analyze the behavior of vegetable farmer in technology information utilization and the cyber extension utilization; 2) to analyze the dominant factors that influencing the behavior of vegetable farmer in technology information utilization, the utilization of cyber extension, and the level of vegetable farmer empowerment, and 3) to design the strategy of cyber extension utilization in vegetable farmer empowerment. The research conducted in Cianjur (West Java) and Batu (East Java) on July 2010 to January 2011. The study used the primary data that derived from the 200 respondents that using the information technology facilities to support farming activities with closed and semi-open questionnaires and by using Likert scale. The quantitative data were analyzed statistic based on correlation analysis, t_test, and Structural Equation Modelling. Qualitative data that was collected through in-depth interview, observation, documentation, and focus group discussion to support the quantitative data. The results indicated that the application of information and communication technology in cyber extension can greatly improve farmers’ accessibility especially for accessing the agricultural technology and market information. The farmer characteristic (the level of cosmopolitan), the behavior in the information technology utilization, and the perception to the characteristic of cyber extension (comparative advantage and observability) are the dominant factors that influencing the utilization of cyber extension. The dominant factors influencing the level empowerment of vegetable farmer are the cyber extension utilization, the behavior in the information technology utilization, the level of cosmopolitan, the perception to the characteristic of cyber extension, and the environment. The strategy of communication convergence through the cyber extension utilization in vegetable farmer empowerment was designed with two-step-flow communication and the utilization of the other communication media suitable with farmer characteristic. The strategy at the level of policy maker is to develop the content and the connection of networking technology that appropriately with the environment condition. There are four types of the cyber extension utilization mechanism at the level of beneficiaries. Firstly, the utilization of cyber extension by opinion leader and distributed to other farmer through local communication media. Secondly, the utilization of cyber extension by operator of telecenter and distributed to farmer. Then, the utilization of cyber extension by community group and distributed to farmer. Finally, the utilization of cyber extension by extension worker and then distributed to opinion leaders, forwarded to other farmer, and transferred directly or indirectly to farmers.

Cyber extension merupakan salah satu mekanisme berbagi informasi dan pengetahuan serta pengembangan jaringan informasi secara interaktif yang mensinergikan aplikasi teknologi informasi dengan media komunikasi yang ada di lingkungan untuk meningkatkan kesejahteraan masyarakat. Cyber extension juga merupakan salah satu sistem komunikasi inovasi pertanian yang dapat difungsikan untuk memperluas jaringan pemasaran, mempertemukan lembaga penelitian, pengembangan, dan pengkajian dengan diseminator inovasi (penyuluh), pendidik, petani, dan kelompok stakeholders lainnya. Masing-masing stakeholders memiliki kebutuhan dengan jenis dan bentuk informasi yang berbeda sehingga dapat berperan secara sinergis dan saling melengkapi. Masalah yang diangkat dalam penelitian ini adalah 1) Sejauhmana perilaku petani sayuran dalam memanfaatkan teknologi informasi dan sejauhmana cyber extension dimanfaatkan oleh petani sayuran untuk mendukung kegiatan usahatani, 2) sejauhmana terdapat faktor dominan yang mempengaruhi perilaku pemanfaatan teknologi informasi, tingkat pemanfaatan cyber extension, dan tingkat keberdayaan petani sayuran, dan 3) bagaimana strategi yang tepat untuk memanfaatkan cyber extension sebagai media komunikasi dalam pemberdayaan petani sayuran. Sedangkan tujuan penelitian adalah 1) menganalisis perilaku petani sayuran dalam memanfaatkan teknologi informasi dan menganalisis pemanfaatan cyber extension oleh petani sayuran untuk mendukung kegiatan usahatani, 2) mengungkap faktor dominan yang mempengaruhi perilaku petani dalam memanfaatkan eknologi informasi, tingkat pemanfaatan cyber extension, dan tingkat keberdayaan petani sayuran, dan 3) merumuskan strategi yang tepat dalam memanfaatkan cyber extension sebagai media komunikasi dalam pemberdayaan petani.