The Role Of The Kostratani Agricultural Extension Center And Poor Households In Supporting Food-Independent South Sumatra Movement

Abstract

The Kostratani Agricultural Extension Center is considered to be important in the agricultural development of South Sumatra. The multifaceted role of the program shows the indispensable contribution to the region as a crucial data and information center, hub for agricultural development initiatives, learning center, agribusiness consultation facility, and center for partnership network development. Across the 17 regencies/cities in South Sumatra, there are 196 Agricultural Extension Centers actively contributing to the landscape. Therefore, this research aimed to (1) describe the implementation of the Kostratani agricultural extension center and the poor households’ roles in supporting the South Sumatra Movement for Food Independence program, (2) analyze factors related to the implementation of agricultural extension center role and poor households in supporting the program. The results show that (1) the implementation of the Kostratani agricultural extension center role in South Sumatra is in the medium category with an index of 75.81%. The roles of being an information data and an agricultural development center are characterized as high, while the remaining three indicators are in the medium category. Simultaneously, the implementation of the role played by poor households is categorized as medium, with an index of 69.6%. (2) There is a significant positive correlation between the Kostratani agricultural extension center and the roles of poor households in the food-independent South Sumatra movement program with an R2 value of 0.838**. (3) Based on Kostratani agricultural extension center, 4 indicators have a significant positive correlation, namely the role as data and information center, center for agricultural development, learning center, and center for partnership networks.