Journal of Socioeconomics and Development Vol 1, No 1, April 2018, 32 – 37 Widyagama DOI: 10.31328/jsed.v1i1.530 Establish The Perception of Agricultural Extension Workers through Cyber Extension as The Media Information Latarus Fangohoi1*, Sugiyanto2, Keppi Sukesi2, and Edi Dwi Cahyono2 1 College of Agricultural Extension of Malang, East Java 2 Post Graduate Program of Agriculture Faculty, University of Brawijaya Malang (Received April 12, 2017; Accepted March 20, 2018; Published April 10, 2018) ABSTRACT. The cyber extension has a significant media in developing an extension program of agricultural information. The government has built the cyber extension supported by the development of ICT and its utilization in the dissemination of agricultural information. It is expected to provide positive benefits in the improvement of competence of the extension workers. The purpose of this research is to analyse the characteristics and perception of the extensions workers in the utilization of cyber extension to support their work. This research is correlational descriptive analysis by using survey method. The study was conducted in South Manokwari Regency, West Papua Province. The sample in the research was all extension workers as many as 22 people. The result shows that the characteristics of the extensions workers as follow: the media used is a smartphone (100 percent), the working period is 5-10 years (77 percent) and the education level is high school (SMK/SPMA, 73 percent). Meanwhile, the perception of the extension workers on the cyber media is high. It reaches 95 percent. They provide the positive perception on cyber extension concerning variables of benefit, complexity, and convenience. Keywords: Manokwari, farmer, rural, smart phone, training JEL Classification: D80, L86, Q16 INTRODUCTION the demand for the quality extension services to farmers. This condition certainly requires the needs Information communication and technology of agricultural extension workers who have (ICT) grows very fast. The Information technology competence based on the knowledge and skills provides many varieties of alternative ways and according to their respective fields (Pramono, procedures to help human needs. Therefore, Fatchiya, & Sadono, 2017). everyone needs to follow the development of the technology and develops creativity dealing with the So far, the problem often faced by the farmers problems in various fields. This development also in rural areas is the low availability of new influences the paradigm shift in the field of information and as needed. So much information is agricultural extension to provide information to the available over the internet. This information can be public. The access to information can be obtained useful as the first step to understand the problem in the short time and quickly now. which is then followed up with a solution. The provision of this information needs to be well Today, farmers commonly show an increase in managed. The extension workers, farmers, and knowledge, skills, skills and critical attitude towards stakeholders can learn to use this information to be agricultural development. This is demonstrated by more useful. Furthermore, the information technology can encourage farmers to build personal communication more easily, quickly, and * Corresponding author email: [email protected], ISSN 2615-6075 online; ISSN 2615-6946 print accurately. The information availability can also @UWG Press, 2018 create technological innovations in agriculture and OJS http://publishing-widyagama.ac.id/ejournal- its supporting services. v2/index.php/jsed/ Journal of Socioeconomics and Development, Vol 1, No 1, April 2018 33 A cyber extension is one of the mechanisms of to stimulate and develop their business. The issue development of network communication, of commercialization requires fast information and information and innovation in the agriculture sector innovative services through the utilization of cyber that is developed by the government. The cyber extensions. extension is also intended for implementing the This research aims to study the characteristics information and communication technology in the of the extension workers and its perception in the communication system of agricultural extension. utilization of cyber extension to support its task. The cyber extension has a synergistic and complementary role to bridge the needs of farmers RESEARCH METHOD and stakeholders through the communication The research design used was a mixed method mechanism of agricultural innovation (Anwas, which is a combination of qualitative and Sumardjo, Asngari, & Tjitropranoto, 2009; quantitative research approach (Sugiyono, 2016). Mulyandari, Baga, & Sumardjo, 2010). There are The strategy of mixed methods used was the some benefits of the cyber extension, for example, concurrent embedded strategy (Creswell, 2009). providing information for extension workers, The data collection was conducted by survey farmers, and planters; and providing information to method. Two districts of South Manokwari Regency see how the development of the cocoa plant, in of West Papua Province were selected. The survey term of demand, cultivation, harvesting and location was conducted purposely in two largest transaction mechanisms. sub-districts of cocoa production. Those regions The barriers in the access to ICT by the have received equipment of data processing of extension workers and farmers are still very cyber extension from the Agriculture Office of significant. These constraints include a low in skills, South Manokwari Regency. gaps in understanding information, not familiar with The study was conducted from November 2016 ICT, and the expense of technology. to February 2017. The population was the The advantages of using cyber extension extension workers assigned in South Manokwari communications are the sustainable availability of Regency in West Papua Province. They were the information, the access to the international needs, extension workers of permanent civil servants the user-oriented, the personalized manner, the (PNS, Pegawai Negeri Sipil) and freelancer (THL- effective and fast cost. Today, the most relevant in TBPP, Tenaga Harian Lepas Tenaga Bantu communication model is the use of cyber Penyuluh Pertanian) in South Manokwari Regency. extensions. It is a strategic medium in extension All extension workers (Sugiyono, 2016) who practice to improve the accessibility of information become as the research respondents were 22 to farmers, extension workers, researchers, people. suppliers and other stakeholders (Subejo, 2006, The data used are primary data and secondary 2013). data. The primary data were associated with the Cyber Extension is one of the communication age, education, age of employment and the gadget channels that synergizes the application of used. The Perceptual data on the cyber extension information technology with the various included benefits, complexity, convenience, communication system via internet. One of the conformity, and expected profit. utilization of cyber extensions is through mobile The research obtained the primary data phones and computer media. According to (Subejo, through: (i) structured interviews by using 2013), the application of conventional extensions questionnaires, (ii) in-depth interviews, (iii) Focus methods, such as face-to-face, group meetings, Group Discussion (FGD) and (iv) field observation leaflets, and field schools are no longer adequate. (Akdon & Riduan, 2007). The secondary data were Commercialization of agricultural commodities gathered through documents and information has become a primary need for sustainable related to the cyber extension. The analysis method production. The flow of benefits from the marketing used was a descriptive approach. of farm products provides farmers with incentives Journal of Socioeconomics and Development Widyagama Vol 1, No 1, April 2018, 32 – 37 DOI: 10.31328/jsed.v1i1.530 Figure 1. Website of the cyber extension (http://cybex.pertanian.go.id) RESULT AND DISCUSSION much experience, then the role of smartphones or laptop can help them to improve their insight and Characteristics of Extension Workers competence in absorbing better information. In The results show that the characteristics of Garut, the skill of extension workers is generally in extension workers vary considerably (Table 1). The the low category (Pramono et al., 2017). To solve extension workers in South Manokwari District are these problems, the extension workers are dominantly aged between 40 and 48 years old (59 expected to be able to access cyber extension and percent), high school education (73 percent), 5-10 utilize it to support knowledge transfer. years (77 percent), the positive perception of cyber Table 1. Characteristics of Extension Workers extension (95 percent) and smartphone use (100 percent). These results commonly illustrate that the Characteristics Criterion Number Proportion Age 30-39 7 31.8 character of the extension workers is usually adult, 40-48 13 59.1 middle-educated, do not have much experience in 49-57 2 9.1 the task, recognize the smartphone, and have a Education High school 16 72.7 good perception of the cyber extension. Diploma-3 2 9.1 Diploma-4 1 4.6 The extension workers have been very familiar Und’graduate 3 13.6 Working period 5 - 10 year 17 77.3 with communication technology and information 11 - 15 year 4 18.2 and its benefits as the source of information that 16 - 20 year 0 0.0 supports the task. 13 form the 22 extension > 20 year 1 4.5 workers