The Effectiveness of Cyber-Extension-Based Information Technology to Support Agricultural Activities in Kabupaten Donggala, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

Cyber-extension-based information technology is recognized as a means of communicating agricultural supervision to bring into farmers and their family prosperity. Cyber extension refers to an innovation designed to deliver agricultural information communication to farmers in a quick manner, enabling them to obtain fast, appropriate, and relevant information regarding their needs. This research was aimed at finding out the effectiveness of the use of cyber extension as an information and communication media to support farming activities in Kabupaten Donggala, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The research employed a survey method which involved 86 farmers as the samples. They represented those who were directly involved in Program Peningkatan Pendapatan Petani Melalui Inovasi (or P4MI, which literally means ‘a program for increasing farmers’ income through innovations’). The research was carried out in Kecamatan Sindue, a district in Kabupaten Donggala. The selection of the location was done on purpose considering the fact that the district has been establishing an information center called Unit Pelayanan Informasi Pertanian Kecamatan (or, UPIPK, which literally means ‘an information service unit for farmers in certain district’) as a way both farmers and supervisors access on the information or the market. The data analysis was carried out descriptively and by using tabulation. The research found that the use of cyber extension in supporting farming activities was effective, represented from the supervisors’ performance in responding to the farmers’ needs as well as the farmers’ performance in establishing their farms. In addition, cyber extension could also give an easy access to the farmers to information technology needed by them in a relatively short time.