Abstract
This paper aims to identify factors affecting farmers’ negative perception on utilizing rice transplanters and combine harvesters. To this end, data obtained from interview survey in the westernmost part of Java Island, Banten Province was analyzed, where agricultural labor wages increase at a faster pace as compared to other regions and a rapid diffusion of agricultural mechanization is anticipated. The estimation results of multiple regression models clearly show that majority of coefficients of three independent variables: farm size extension, and farming experience, are statistically significant and take negative values. Therefore, it can be concluded that the larger the farm size, the more training provided by the government extension office, and the longer farming experience, the lesser the negative perception on the use of transplanters and combine harvesters. Educational background (formal human capital formation), the number of family members (within-household labor endowment), and yield per hectare are not found to significantly affect farmers’ negative perception. Considering the above estimation results, it seems that the government agricultural extension service plays a significant role in lessening farmers’ negative perceptions on transplanters and combine harvesters and thereby facilitates agricultural mechanization to cope with the rapid rise in agricultural labor wages. Key words: Paddy farmer, perception, agricultural mechanization, Indonesia.  
Highlights
It is well documented, in both developed and rapidly developing countries, that the adoption of labor saving technologies in the agricultural sector, in particular, the use of machines such as tractors, transplanters and harvesters, is inevitable for maintaining agricultural production (Otsuka et al, 2013)
In an effort to cope with the rapid increase in hired-in agricultural labor cost1, improve labor productivity, increase crop intensity, and thereby partly regain self-sufficiency in rice production, the Indonesian government has been providing agricultural machinery, such as rice transplanters and combine harvesters, to the association of farmers‟ groups since 2014
An interview survey is conducted in the westernmost part of Java Island, Banten Province, where agricultural labor wage increases at a faster pace as compared to other regions and a rapid diffusion of agricultural mechanization is expected
Summary
In both developed and rapidly developing countries, that the adoption of labor saving technologies in the agricultural sector, in particular, the use of machines such as tractors, transplanters and harvesters, is inevitable for maintaining agricultural production (Otsuka et al, 2013). This is especially true in cases of massive labor outflow from the rural to urban sectors. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the use of agricultural machinery resulted in reduction in production costs by approximately 50%, and rice farmers were able to plant two to three times a year (Tempo, January 1, 2017). the extent to which the participant farmers positively (or negatively) perceive the government-led introduction of mechanization in transplanting and harvesting operations through rice farmers‟ groups has not been clearly assessed so far
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