Determinants of Farmer Group Effectiveness In Implementing of Lowland Rice Cultivation Techniques

Abstract

The effectiveness of farmer groups plays a critical role in strengthening institution-based agricultural development, particularly as a platform for collective learning and decision-making. This study aims to examine the determinants of farmer group effectiveness in the implementation of lowland rice cultivation techniques. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Marga Mulya Village, Tanjung Jabung Timur Regency, Jambi Province. The study involved 186 farmers from seven active farmer groups, with 65 respondents selected through simple random sampling using the Slovin formula at a 10% margin of error. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to assess the relationships among leadership style, social capital, group cohesion, the role of agricultural extension workers, and farmer group effectiveness. The findings reveal that leadership style has a positive and highly significant effect, indicating its pivotal role in enhancing coordination, motivation, and collective action within farmer groups. Conversely, the role of agricultural extension workers shows a significant negative effect, suggesting limitations in the current extension approaches in addressing farmers’ needs. The study concludes that strengthening adaptive and participatory leadership, along with reorienting extension strategies toward a more demand-driven approach, is essential to improve farmer group effectiveness. It is recommended that extension services emphasize facilitative roles and context-specific intervention.