Communication Networks of On-Farm Rubber in Riau Province, Indonesia

Abstract

The rubber on-farm subsystem is an important part of rubber commodity development. Communication is an important part of the on-farm subsystem carried out by farmers because the communication network formed describes the farmer’s communication pattern. The research aims to analyze the communication networks on-farm rubber in Riau and was conducted in two potential districts for rubber commodities in Riau Province, which are Kuantan Singingi Regency and Kampar Regency. To obtain research data, respondents were determined by purposive and snowball sampling. The number of respondents in this research was 168 rubber farmers. The results of the research showed that the on-farm communication network of rubber farmers in Kampar Regency, in a centralized pattern form (interlocking personal network), indicated that there are individuals dominant in the communication network of rubber farmers. Meanwhile, the communication network for rubber farmers in Kuantan Singingi Regency, with a radial personal network, confirmed that the farmer information centers have begun to spread to several individuals. It is necessary to introduce institutional and communication technology, so that farmer information centers are not limited on only certain individuals, and farmers have choice of information sources that can increase knowledge and help to solve problems for rubber farmers in Riau Province.