The Performance of Agricultural Extension Workers on Empowerment and Independent Smallholder Farmer in Riau Province, Indonesia

Abstract

The difference between the production and productivity of smallholders with private estates describe that the extension is still not carry out the role of extension in accordance with Act No 16 of 2006 or that known as SP3K. This will certainly have an impact on performance and memandirikan educator in empowering farmers. Performance can be seen how the extension educator preparation, implementation and evaluation and reporting on the role of counseling was run. The limited number of extension workers to meet one on one village extension will result in the workload becomes larger extension. This study aims to analyze: (1) The performance of agricultural extension; (2) The level of farmer empowerment, and (3) Independence of farmers in the cultivation of rubber and oil palm. Research methods using ex post facto, (analyze and assess the factual events that occurred on the field), with a sample of 240 farmers (120 smallholders and 120 rubber farmers from four districts in Riau province. Analysis using the Scale Likert’s Summated Rating (SLR). The results of the study illustrate that the extension has been conducting outreach with good especially in preparatory education. Activities undertaken have made quite helpless farmers, but farmers still unable to act independently plantations in doing farming oil palm and rubber. Based on our research, it is suggested extension workers to improve their performance in the extension program, for farmers to improve the quality of human resources and productive economic business for rubber and oil palm commodities, and the government should make efforts to improve the farmers’ marketing institutions to reduce the dependence of farmers on toke.