PERAN PENYULUH PERTANIAN DALAM MEMAJUKAN KELOMPOK TANI DI DESA CIPELANG, KABUPATEN BOGOR

Abstract

Strengthening and developing farmer groups is a necessity in agricultural development which aims to increase agricultural productivity, fulfill national food needs, increase farmers' welfare, and realize national security stability. An element that plays an important role in the development of farmer groups is agricultural extension workers, namely as educators, facilitators, motivators, innovators and dynamicators for farmers both individually and in groups. Cipelang Village, Cijeruk District, has several farmer groups with different levels of activity. This study aims to analyze the role of agricultural extension workers in the development of farmer groups and the relationship between the role of agricultural extension workers and the development of farmer groups. The research population was lowland rice farmers, the determination of the number of research samples with the slovin formulation, and the sampling was done by simple random sampling. Primary data was collected through interviews with respondents using a questionnaire, while secondary data was collected from related agency documents and reports. Analysis of the role of agricultural extension workers in the development of farmer groups using descriptive statistical analysis and the relationship between the role of agricultural extension workers and the development of farmer groups was analyzed using Spearman rank correlation analysis. The results of the study indicate that the role of extension workers in the development of farmer groups is very high. The role of agricultural extension agents as facilitators, dynamists, motivators and educators is significantly related to the development of farmer groups, while the role of extension workers as innovators has not shown a significant relationship to the development of farmer groups.