The Process Of Adopting Innovation In Online Agricultural Product Marketing By Agricultural Extension Workers In Padang, West Sumatra

Abstract

Agricultural extension workers are one of the parties that play a role in the process of adopting innovations in agriculture. This study aims to analyze the process of adoption of online agricultural product marketing innovations by Agricultural Extension workers and analyze the factors influencing the adoption of online agricultural product marketing innovations from the perspective of agricultural extension workers in the Padang City Agricultural Department.

Research respondents are agricultural extension workers in the city of Padang totaling of 25 people. The data collected consists of primary data and secondary data. The process of innovation adoption is measured based on the stages consisting of the knowledge inquiry, interest, evaluation stage, the small-scale experimentation, and implementation stage. Data analysis was carried out qualitatively by describing the research results in the form of percentages.

The results showed that in the process of adopting online agricultural product marketing innovations, some agricultural extension workers went through stages including acknowledging the existence of online agricultural product marketing innovations, seeking information and knowledge, assessing the suitability of online agricultural product marketing innovations with farmer conditions in the extension working area. However, the stages of trying innovation on a small scale and implementing online marketing innovations for agricultural products are only experienced by a small number of extension workers.

Several factors that influence the adoption of online agricultural product marketing innovations according to agricultural instructors can be grouped into: farmer characteristics, innovation characteristics, extension intensity, and the availability of supporting facilities for online agricultural product marketing innovations.