Characteristics of Farmers and Extension Services Affecting the Sustainability of Seaweed Cultivation in Polewali Mandar, Indonesia

The coming and development of Islam in a region could not be separated from the role of ulama (Islamic scholars or preachers), i.e. the local ulama and the Arab-descendant ulama. In Mandar (West Sulawesi) some names of ulama worth mentioning included Syekh Abdurrahim Kamaluddin, Syekh Abdul Mannan, Raden Mas Suryo Adilogo, Syekh Zakaria al Maghribi, etc. Of those ulama, some came from several regions in the Indonesian archipelago, some were Arab descendants, and some even came directly from the Middle east. However, those earliest preachers only left traces of history. Today their genealogical descendants are no longer found. There was their genealogical vacuum until the end of 19th century. This research analyzes the role of the Arab descendants in in Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi, by putting forward two questions, namely: 1) How was the picture of the spread of the Arab descendants in Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi? And how was the institutional system built by the Arab descendants in Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi? To investigate, this research used a qualitative descriptive approach. The results of research showed that the first entry and development of the Arab descendants in Mandar were marked by the coming of the Arab-descendant preacher named Syekh Alwi bin Abdullah bin Sahl (circa 1880s). Until today, the Arab descendants spreading in Mandar have come from his clan, followed by other Arab descendants coming from other clans.
 
 Keywords: the Arabs, educational institution, the Arab descendants

Description of the conditionAgriculture has wide-ranging global impacts which extend to economic growth, poverty reduction, food security, livelihoods, rural development and the environment (Green et al., 2005).Agriculture is the main source of income for around 2.5 billion people in the developing world (FAO, 2003, p. 1).In addition, around 70 percent of the global extreme poor -or over one billion people -lives in rural areas in low and middle income countries (IFAD, 2010, p.233), most of whom rely directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods.Investment in agriculture has been shown to have beneficial impacts on agricultural growth and poverty reduction (Fan & Rao, 2003).Moreover, the poorest population quintiles benefit significantly more from agricultural growth than growth in other sectors of the economy (United Nations, 2008; World Bank, 2007).The modernisation of farming practices in the 1960s and 70s during the 'Green Revolution' improved agricultural yields substantially in those areas it reached and raised national production and food security (IFAD, 2001).However, two key challenges emerged (van den Berg & Jiggins, 2007).The first problem was that poor farmers were being left behind, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where many were not reached by modernisation approaches.In addition, those technologies promoted were not appropriate to the challenges facing smallholders in the African context, particularly women farmers (Inter-Academy Council, 2004).Second, modernisation was also associated with adverse environmental and health consequences, relating to water pollution, declining soil quality, soil erosion, pest resistance and loss of biodiversity.A particular problem emerged around environmental and health consequences of chemical pesticides use.Chemical pesticides have been heavily promoted and publicly subsidised under the modernisation agenda to such an extent that their overuse led to insect pests becoming resistant and causing major outbreaks of insect pests in rice crops in Asia in the 1970s and 80s.In addition, prolonged exposure to pesticides was associated with chronic and acute health problems among rural residents (Pingali & Roger, 1995).Use of broadspectrum insecticides in agriculture has even been linked to mosquito vectors of malaria developing resistance to insecticides used in malaria control programs (Diabate et al.,

BackgroundEffective public extension and advisory services have the potential to improve agricultural productivity; net farm income; and food security amongst resource-poor farmers. However, studies conducted to measure the effectiveness of extension and advisory services, offered by the Government of South Africa, have focused on the methods used, instead of the guiding principles, such as demand-driven services; equity; prioritization of farmer’s needs; and social and human capital development. The aim of this research paper was to determine farmers’ perceptions regarding the effectiveness of public extension and advisory services and associated factors. Perceptions of the effectiveness were measured using sixteen variables. A group of 442 farmers, in the Gauteng province, receiving government agricultural extension and advisory services, were randomly selected to participate in the study. Using a semi-structured survey instrument, primary data was collected through physical interviews and then analysed using computer software.ResultsThe study found that public extension and advisory services in Gauteng were perceived as ineffective. Three socio-demographic factors (education level, age and farm/plot size) significantly influenced farmer’s perceptions towards public extension and advisory services. Moreover, the Principle Axis Factoring (PAF) results indicated that there were three underlying factors of the perceived effectiveness of public extension services, namely: relevance and good quality services; provision of information on improving agricultural production; and availability of the technologies required by farmers.ConclusionsLarge-scale farmers perceived public extension services to be less effective. The exploratory factor analysis extracted three underlying factors which accounted for 81.81% of the variance of the perceived effectiveness of public extension services. Farmers recommended that public extension and advisory services should be of good quality; relevant; and should improve agricultural production to be considered as effective by the farmers. Moreover, provision of extension and advisory services should be determined by farm/plot size.

Rhizophora mucronata is a black mangrove with the most productive ecosystem that has benefits many people. But in reality, because of their business, some people often neglect preserving mangrove ecosystems and habitats. This study was conducted to analyze the level of genetic diversity and the relationship between R. mucronata in West Sulawesi based on morphological markers that will be used in future restoration efforts of black mangroves around the coast. This study used ten trees from three origins: Polewali Regency Mandar, Majene, and Mamuju. Then, several parts of the tree are used for this study, namely leaves, trunks, bark, roots, flowers, and propagules. However, the observed characteristics are leaf shape, stem shape, and color samples such as bark color, stem color, root color, color propagule (fruit and hypocotyl), and leaf color with a qualitative and quantitative approach. The results of this study show that black mangroves in Polewali Mandar, Majene, and Mamuju show high-value genetic diversity. The genetic distance between Polewali Mandar and Mamuju shows a high value of 0.13, meaning they have a distant kinship. Meanwhile, the genetic distance between Polewali Mandar and Majene shows a low value of 0.09, meaning they are close relatives. The findings of this study directly address the research urgency by highlighting the high genetic diversity of R. mucronata populations in West Sulawesi, despite increasing threats from anthropogenic activities. The observed genetic distances indicate significant variation among populations, particularly between Polewali Mandar and Mamuju, which suggests the need for targeted conservation strategies. The close genetic relationship between Polewali Mandar and Majene further emphasizes the importance of localized preservation efforts. These insights provide a scientific basis for future restoration initiatives, ensuring conservation programs maintain genetic resilience and adaptability within the mangrove ecosystem.

This study determined the effectiveness of extension services among food crop farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 145 respondents in the study area. An interview schedule was used to collect data from the respondents; data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. Results reveal that more than half of the farmers are female (56.6%) and have poor contact with extension services (54.5%). Significant relationship exists between age, sex, level of education, farming experience, farmer's attitude toward extension services, extension services received, and the effectiveness of extension services. Training and increased incentives for extension agents, as well as proper monitoring and evaluation of extension budgets, are pertinent to improving extension service delivery to farmers.

Climate-Smart Aquaculture (CSAq) is increasingly recognized as a sustainable adaptation strategy to enhance aquaculture productivity, resource efficiency, and climate resilience. However, socioeconomic and institutional constraints continue to shape CSAq adoption patterns, particularly among smallholder farmers. This study examines the determinants of CSAq adoption in Tanzania’s Lake Zone, using a Multinomial Logit (MNL) model to analyze survey data from 384 fish farmers. The model assesses the likelihood of adopting Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture (IAA), Polyculture, or Monoculture (baseline category) based on household characteristics, financial access, extension services, and education levels. The findings reveal that household size (p < 0.05), education level (p < 0.05), financial grants (p < 0.01), and extension services (p < 0.01) significantly influenced CSAq adoption. Larger households and better-educated farmers were more likely to adopt IAA, while financial support and extension services were associated with higher Monoculture adoption rather than CSAq. This suggests that current institutional support structures may be reinforcing conventional single-species fish farming rather than promoting climate-resilient aquaculture models. Gender was not statistically significant, indicating that CSAq adoption disparities are more closely linked to financial and institutional constraints rather than direct gender-based preferences. These findings highlight the urgent need to realign financial incentives, extension programs, and training initiatives to promote climate-smart aquaculture adoption. Policies should prioritize CSAq financing models, and integrate climate-smart training into extension services. Strengthening institutional support mechanisms and enhancing smallholder farmers' access to CSAq knowledge and resources will be critical for achieving climate resilience, food security, and rural economic development in Tanzania’s aquaculture sector.

Agriculture is a dominant field in Sri Lanka, with vegetable cultivation accounting for a large portion of it. Improving agri-entrepreneurship is a good solution for increasing farm efficiency and effectiveness, reducing youth unemployment, and alleviating poverty in rural Sri Lanka. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing farmers’ entrepreneurial skills and the challenges that farmer-entrepreneurs face. The study area was chosen as Polgahawela DS division in Kurunegala district. One hundred vegetable farmers (50 young and 50 old) were chosen at random. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data. The data was analyzed using reliability analysis, multiple regression models, and one-way ANOVA. According to the findings, education level, farming experience, and extension services all have a significant impact on the development of farmers’ entrepreneurial skills, which have a positive effect on farmer performance. The most significant challenges for vegetable farmers are marketing risk and finance. To develop farmers’ entrepreneurial skills, projects and programs may focus on education level, farming experience, and extension services, with the support of successful and more experienced old farmers.

This study examines the key factors influencing farmers' decisions to adopt climate change adaptation strategies in agriculture, focusing on Kopeng Village in Semarang, Indonesia. Using a multinomial logit (MNL) model, the article analyzes various strategies in response to climate challenges. It shows that household characteristics, tenure characteristics, and institutional support are important for adaptation decisions. Variables such as age, education level, family size, farming experience, age at first marriage, and age at first childbirth are also significant; older and more educated individuals with larger families are more likely to adopt innovations such as organic fertilizers and fast-growing seeds. Landholding and land size also influence adoption behavior, and the distance from home to agricultural land may hinder the use of organic fertilizers due to transportation logistics. Notably, institutional support—including credit availability, extension services, and farmers’ associations—is critical for the successful adoption of strategies. The government’s role in promoting agriculture, particularly organic farming, is highly anticipated. Through farmer groups, the government can provide necessary technological assistance and digital marketing training to help farmers reach broader markets.

Smallholder farmers’ coping strategies to climate change and variability: Evidence from Ethiopia

Cocoa is the main plantation crop in Indonesia after rubber and oil palm. Indonesia’s cocoa production is the sixth-largest after Ghana and Ivory Coast. Cocoa cultivation spreads to almost all islands in Indonesia. However, the largest is on the island of Sulawesi. West Sulawesi is one of the largest cocoa producers in Indonesia. The decline in cocoa production has continued since 2012. One of the causes of the decline in cocoa production is a decrease in acreage and low productivity of the cocoa plant. The current average cocoa productivity is only 797 kg/ha/year. This productivity is very low compared to the optimum productivity, reaching 2,000-3,000 kg/ha/year. One of the causes of low productivity is uneven land suitability. Cocoa is grown on land with a poor land index. This study aims to study the land index in West Sulawesi to develop land suitability for cocoa plants. His research took place in January-August 2020. The collection of representative points consisted of 30 points spread over four districts in West Sulawesi, namely Polewali Mandar, Majene, Mamuju and Mamasa Regencies. The results showed that there was a strong correlation between land index values and cocoa productivity. Each increase in the land index will increase the productivity of specific cocoa plants for the West Sulawesi Region. The highest Land Suitability Index value (53.56) was obtained on land with cocoa productivity of 2,000 kg/ha/year. The lowest Land Suitability Indexvalue is obtained on land with a 700 kg/ha/year productivity.

This study examines farmers’ participation and applicability of agricultural extension service demonstration in Yayo and Hurumu districts of Oromia, South-West Ethiopia. Specifically, it aims to evaluate factors determining households’ participation in agricultural extension service; applicability of the extension service field demonstration; and major sources of information from where rural households get information about the service. The primary data was collected from 143 household heads selected based on systematic random sampling from four Kebeles, and interview conducted with 10 key informants. Analysis is made by descriptive and inferential statistics. Ordered logit econometric model is used with robustness test. Marginal effect is used to interpret the effect of explanatory variables on the dependent variable. Result of the study reveals that about 15.3% of literate households frequently participate in the extension service while only 4.23% of illiterate households fall under the category of frequently participating in the service. Factors determining households’ participation in extension service include; age, sex, farming experience, family size, economic status, experience in extension service, DAs contact with farmers, DAs politeness, and farmers’ access to social networks. Among these, except age of household which is negatively related to the degree of participation in extension service, all other variables are positively influencing households’ participation in the extension service. The study also indicates that applicability of the field demonstration through farmers’ farm visit, demonstration at FTCs, and model farmers’ approach of scaling-up best practices are ineffective. The main sources of information through which rural households get information about extension service include development agents, neighbors/relatives, social networks, Kebele administration, and mass media. But, about 90% of the sampled households argued that the contribution of NGOs and model farmers’ in information dissemination and technology transfer has been poor. The policy implication is that government has to make the extension service delivery approach more demand driven and pluralistic where different multi-extension service providers such as farmers’ union, NGOs and private sectors can contribute their part. To promote participation of private and NGOs particularly local NGOs, government better design legal frameworks through which stakeholders could involve in providing agricultural extension service. Keywords: Extension service, FTCs, FFS, Model farmers, Social networks. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/12-21-02 Publication date: November 30 th 2021

Identification of Langsat (Lansium domesticum Corr) Morphological Characters as Local Superior Fruit in Polewali Mandar Regency, West Sulawesi Province. The purpose of this study was to determine the morphological characters of langsat plants in Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi. This research was conducted in February-September 2020 in 4 Districts 12 Villages in Polewali Mandar Regency, West Sulawesi Province. The method used in this research is the method of observation, namely identifying the morphological characteristics of langsat in Polewali Mandar district which has 16 sub-districts and 144 villages. In 16 sub-districts 4 sub-districts were selected where each sub-district was selected 1 village, each village was taken 3 plant samples using the method (purposive sampling)

Crossbred cattle farming by small farm holders are one of the promising agricultural activities to enhance financial and nutritional status of the rural people of Bangladesh. Several factors influence the rural farmers to raise the crossbred cattle farming. Thus, the research investigates the demographic, socioeconomic and agro-ecological factors and farming assets and facilities of the small farm holders that influence the adoption of crossbreds. Multistage random sampling technique was used to random selection of 300 cattle households in four agro-ecological zones. Chi-square tests were carried out to assess the association between cattle breeds and levels of variables. Also, the binary logistic regression model was used to determine the effects of the factors. Age group, level of education, occupation, household income, farming experience and reception of extension services were significantly (p<0.01) associated with the adoption of crossbred cattle. Extension services (OR=128.82, 95%CI=27.74-598.2) and higher income group (OR=6.138, 95%CI=1.352-27.87) were significant and more likely to adopt crossbred cattle compared to no extension services and low-income group respectively. Secondary educated farmers were 3.64 times more likely (OR=3.642, 95%CI=1.24-10.67) and higher than secondary educated farmers were 7.58 times more likely (OR=7.579, 95%CI=2.45-23.40) to adopt crossbred cattle compared to illiterate or primary educated farmers. Industrial zone was more likely and other two zones were less likely to adoption of crossbred cattle compare to river basin zone. Youths should be trained and educated and also extension services should be provided to the farmers to raise crossbred cattle for increased milk production and household poverty alleviation.

Banana is a tropical crop grown in most developing countries, where it is commercialized by smallholder farmers. Banana is a major source of income, improved food security and possess great potential for value addition and export. Kenya is the largest producer of banana in East Africa, where it is a major source of food and income for smallholders. However, despite all these benefits, little is reported about its value chain factors and marketing channels in Kenya. Apparently, there are many restricting constraints in terms of banana supply and marketing management. Therefore, this study mapped socio-economic factors in the banana value chain and identified marketing channels in one banana-rich region, comprising Meru, Embu, and Tharaka-Nithi in Kenya. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design and multi-stage sampling of 384 respondents, comprising farmers, traders, and middlemen. A structured questionnaire was administered to respondents to collect primary data, which was subjected to descriptive and econometric analyses. The study found that majority of the farmers were small-scale, who used family labour (60%) and had limited access to credit and extension services. Middlemen were the dominant actors in marketing channels, compared to direct marketing. Farming experience and land allocated to banana were significant predictors with P=.030 and .040, respectively in Tharaka-Nithi, and P=.030 and .014, respectively in Embu. In Meru, land allocated to banana, type of labour, farming experience and education level were significant predictors with P=.012, .009, .059 and .080, respectively. Most farmers did not have a specific buyer of their bananas and hence were prone to exploitation by middlemen. Also few farmers got information on marketing channels. These findings provide insights into challenges faced by small-scale banana farmers in the region and recommends enactment of policies that support farmer access to credit, extension services, and direct marketing channels. Sustained sensitization of farmers on value chain requirements should instill the right marketing channel to adopt and consistently use.

This community service aims to improve the capacity of shallot farmers in Galung Village, Lombok, Polewali Mandar, in implementing True Shallot Seed (TSS) technology as an effort to increase shallot (Allium cepa L.) production. The use of TSS is an innovation that can increase harvest yields and reduce the risk of disease spread, which is often carried by conventional bulbs. The activity method includes focus group discussions (FGD) to understand participant readiness, preparation of extension materials, and implementation of extension that includes an introduction to the TSS method and comparison with traditional cultivation techniques. Evaluation was carried out with a pre-test and post-test to assess the increase in participant understanding. The evaluation results showed an increase in the average score from 41.63 in the pre-test to 76.08 in the post-test, reflecting an increase in understanding of 82.75%. Further analysis showed that age and farming experience factors did not significantly affect the increase in participant understanding. In conclusion, this program has succeeded in increasing farmer knowledge in TSS-based shallot cultivation techniques, which have the potential to support the sustainability of shallot production and strengthen farmers' economic resilience in the future. It is hoped that the TSS method can be applied more widely through the demonstration plot system to increase farmer confidence in adopting this technology