DIGITAL EXTENSION, ITS OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN MATARAM MUNICIPALITY

Abstract

Currently, we are already in the era of the digital industry. The concept of the digital industry provides opportunities for extension workers to conduct counseling digitally. The Agricultural Human Resources Development and Extension Agency (BPPSDMP), Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan), continues to encourage transformation in the agricultural sector, including the transformation of extension from conventional to digital. The Ministry of Agriculture in the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has implemented, among others, Smart Feed Agrinak, My Agri, LKP Program (Rice Consulting Service), ITani, Planting Calendar, Takesi and so on, including a web that provides information on extension materials from extension workers to other extension workers, namely Cyber Extension. On the other hand, internet users in Indonesia reached 345.3 million with the average ownership of cell phones in Indonesia is 2. Based on this data, digitization of counseling is a necessity. Then what are the knowledge, attitudes and skills of extension workers as well as the opportunities and challenges of implementing digital extension in Mataram City? This research was carried out in Mataram City by taking a sample of 6 Agricultural Extension Centers with a total of 30 extension respondents. The object of this research is the knowledge, attitudes and skills of extension workers as well as opportunities and challenges in implementing digital counseling. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method. Data was collected using in-depth interview techniques. Informants are determined purposively. The data from the research results were analyzed in a qualitative descriptive manner. The results of the study show that the opportunity to conduct counselinextension digitally in Mataram City is very open because all extension workers have and are able to access the internet well. All extension workers are already aware of the cyber extension organized by BPSDM, they also know that agricultural information and innovations are available and accessible on the internet. Extension workers feel that extension materials on cyber extension and the internet are generally good and can be useful for farmers. The challenge is that extension workers do not dare to deliver extension materials accessed from the internet to farmers before they are adapted to local conditions. On the other hand, extension workers do not have funds to adapt new innovations that are learned digitally, so counseling on new innovations to farmers is not carried out.