PENGARUH FREKUENSI PENYULUHAN PERTANIAN TERHADAP EFEKTIVITAS KOMUNIKASI KELOMPOK TANI

Abstract

Agricultural extension plays an important role in improving farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and skills through effective communication. However, extension activities still face challenges, including low meeting intensity, irregular activities, and limited interaction between extension workers and farmers, which may affect communication effectiveness within farmer groups. This study aimed to analyze the effect of extension frequency on communication effectiveness among farmer groups. A quantitative approach was employed in farmer groups in Sukabumi Regency, West Java, Indonesia, involving 30 respondents selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a Likert-scale questionnaire that had been tested for validity and reliability and were analyzed using simple linear regression with SPSS. The results showed that extension frequency had a positive and significant effect on communication effectiveness, with a significance value of 0.030 (<0.05) and a regression coefficient of 0.260. Higher extension frequency improved message comprehension, feedback, communication openness, and farmers’ attitudes. Therefore, increasing the frequency of extension activities should be supported by appropriate communication methods to optimize information delivery to farmers.