Research on agricultural communication is centered on utilizing communication elements in agricultural counseling activities, i.e., media utilization in disseminating agricultural information, methods used in counseling activities, and communication techniques used in disseminating information to farmers by the Agricultural Extension Officers (PPL). Some of the researches conducted are about communication networks, ICT utilization, and others. These are some research conducted by Agricultural Communication group:
The Communication Network Of Agricultural Extensions In Yogyakarta Special Region In The Exchange Of Agriculture Information
The communication network is one of the analytical methods used to describe the communication structure and position of a person in a network or structure. Communication networks can also be done to determine the intensity of a person’s communication, which in this study was conducted to determine the communication intensity of extension agents, who are expected to have a wide network with each other in order to find information about agricultural activities. The development of increasingly advanced technology should also be the basis for extension agent to continue to be innovative and to keep up with existing developments by seeking information through various media. The hope is that the higher the PPL’s intensity in seeking agricultural information, the groups they coach will be more advanced because they get a lot of information from their extension agent companions. The location of this research is in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, by taking informants, namely all Field Extension Agents in Yogyakarta Special Region. The research was carried out in stages over a period of 3 years in order to maximize the overall data collection. The sociogram of the communication network was created using Pajek software. The centralized network pattern was formed in the exchange of information on yard utilization programs and information on yard cultivation between extension agents in Sleman Regency and Gunung Kidul Regency. Extension agents in Gunung Kidul Regency is more active in exchanging information on yard land use programs and information on cultivation in the yard compared to extension agents in Sleman Regency. GK extension agents 11 are actors who are easily contacted by other actors and actors who mediate information in the extension agents communication network in Gunung Kidul Regency. In terms of exchanging information on plant cultivation in the yard, extension agents in Sleman Regency is mostly carried out through technical guidance, while for extension agents Gunung Kidul Regency using Whatsapp media.
Farmer Group Members Knowledge Exchange of Chili Farming on Coastal Sandy Land Indonesia
It attempts to focus on two pioneering farmer groups based on chili farming located on coastal sandy land, the Bugel Farmer Group (BFG) and the Garongan Farmer Group (GFG). Farmer group as a united group of farmers are founded based on similar needs, similar socioeconomic condition, and solidarity among them in order to obtain a better life and better economic condition. Being a member of farmer group, farmers could have a wider opportunity to exchange the knowledge regarding their commodities. These two farmer groups are reputed as advanced farmer groups and have been successfully conducting activity of chili farming. The activities are embedded in the process of diffusion of chili farming innovation since the innovations are the prominent aspect of increasing chili productivity on coastal sandy land. In order to mapping the pattern of knowledge exchange between each member of farmer group, social network analysis was applied to understand how the social structure of relationships around a farmer and farmer group affects diffusion of innovation. The research was conducted in September 2015 to collect data about knowledge exchange of chili farming on coastal sandy land. All members and board of the BFG (95 farmers) and GFG (86 farmers) were interviewed while the roster method was used. Then, the network was drawn by Pajek 3.15 and analyzed by ERGM using MPNet software. The result showed that the BFG network’s density is 0.02 while the GFG network’s density is 0.11. On the BFG has only one clique appeared while on the GFG’s network produced 329 cliques. In addition, in the GFG the reciprocal ties are dominant; 81.17% from a total of 818 ties, while in the BFG the reciprocal ties are only 19.51% of a total of 205 ties. It showed that knowledge exchange among GFG’s member is more likely appeared than in the BFG. The knowledge exchange of GFG is based on the structural homophily. The members of GFG diffuse their knowledge to other members while other members also reciprocally inform their views about innovation of chili farming. Meanwhile, in the BFG there are some popular farmers who are knowledgeable and most of the members of BFG accessing the new information from them. Those farmers are BFG board member who has a role as an information broker to any other farmers. Among members of BFG tend to less practically exchange the knowledge while in the GFG, the information is not centralized only to particular farmersall farmers tend to share choice and share network activity together. GFG has a rule to conducting chili farming based on the collective action so that the exchange knowledge among them has probably influenced by the collective norm. These findings suggest that exchange knowledge among farmers could enhance the spread of innovation diffusion and speed timing of innovation adoption.
The Influence of Social Network Structure on the Farmer Group Participation in Indonesia
The development of farmer groups in Indonesia is being stagnant because of the function of farmer group could not afford the needs of farmer group members. Participation of members is crucial to be assessed in order to promote the development of farmer group. To increase the participation of members, the social network structure between members and leaders should be taken into consideration. In this paper, the function of local institution leaders together with the function of farmer group leaders are measured in the social network structure. Through the graph of social network, it found that members will access information easily through the routine meeting in the local institution (neighborhood association) while the farmer group leaders are functioning as a legitimate of farmer group agenda. This paper suggests that the relationship between member and leader on the social network structure influences the member participation in the farmer group. In the best practice farmer group, the economic condition contributes the higher participation on farmer group as similar as common farmer group. Distinct from common farmer group, the relationship between members and farmer group leader and local leaders in a best practice farmer group have a significant effect on farmer group participation. Support from local institution leader could be legitimated the activities in the rural area so that the integration between activities in the farmer group and the rural area strengthen the achievement of farmer group and rural goals. Synergizing the rural area goals and farmer groups agenda would promote the behavior of each farmer to access group facilities and information equally
FARMERS’ INFORMATION LITERACY ON THE INFORMATION ERA
Information literacy of farmers is especially significant for the growth of farmer, increasing farmers’ income, promoting efficiency of agriculture and rural development. The aims of this research are getting to know 1) the challenge of farmers to understand the needs, source, access of agricultural information and 2) the challenge of farmers information literacy: possess, syntesize, analyze, diseminate and adoption of agricultural information. Participatory action research was choosen as a tool for enacting farmer-driven research. This result showed that the challenge of understanding the needs of agricultural information are slightly on the low level because farmers have understood the needs of information variety to enhance better farming. They can mention the basic needs of agricultural information on farming in the coastal sandy land which are resistant seed, watering and mulch system, biochemical of fertilizer and pesticide, and market product information. The challenge of farmers information literacy on how the farmers possess, synthesize, analyze, diseminate and adoption of information are demanding. Majority of farmers who called as members of farmer group have merely depended on the information which is provided by the group. They mostly conduct information literacyand access agricultural information by using interpersonal approach.
Strategy for Utilizing DesaApps Applications in Agriculture Information Literacy
Information literacy is one part of community empowerment activities, especially in the information field. Information literacy is the ability to search, evaluate, and use information needed effectively. Basically information literacy is not a new ability or skill, but in the era of information disclosure, information literacy is a must-have skill requirement. The problems faced today, there is still an imbalance between the pace of information available and the level of agricultural information literacy at the farm level. The development of agricultural information through the internet has led to cyber extensions, information is available quickly and varied, but not all farmers are able to access and use it. The Faculty of Agriculture UGM has developed an application with the name DesaApps. DesaApps stands for Digital Extension Society for Agriculture Application which aims to be an application platform that provides agricultural counseling and develops a digital farming community. The existence of DesaApps can be useful for users of the application to provide information to one another, interact and transact in agriculture. The features in the DesaApps application consist of Frequently Asked Questions, Articles, Price Information, Farm Notes, Weather Information. Shop Information, Office Information, and Selling Items. Utilization of the features provided by Desa Apps provides an opportunity for farmers to obtain the information needed, as well as a means of improving the skills of managing information obtained. Therefore, the presence of Desa Apps empowers farmers to be independently informed. However, the performance of Desa Apps as one of the sources of information still needs to be improved. In order to be able to optimize the use of Village Apps, the utilization strategy is to improve application performance, promote and promote Village Apps, responsiveness of experts, and optimize the use of Desa Apps as a marketing place.
