Study on Perception and Acceptance of Nutmeg Farmers Toward the National Rehabilitation Program: Increasing the Production of Cash Crop Commodities (Nutmeg) in Tidore-North Maluku-Indonesia

Abstract

The majority of farmers in North Maluku are planting cash crops such as coconut, nutmeg and clove as their main source of income. In the study sites (Kota Tidore region) Most of the farmer have cash crop as the major agricultural commodities. The central government introduced a national program of increasing the cash crop commodities production (nutmeg) in 2017, which aimed to help the sustainable development of cash crop (nutmeg and clove) productions in supporting the farmer’s income. Through this program the government distributed seeds, organic fertilizers and tool (hoe) as well as accompanying the farmers in the first phase of the program. This study purpose to identify the nutmeg farmer’s perception and acceptance toward the assistance received from the government. It also can help to ensure that the program is contributing to the benefit of the farmer as well as can be taken as a lesson learned for the future program. The research is conducted in three villages, Rum, Maftutu and Kalaodi in Tidore regency which has received this program in 2017. The result shows that the perception of farmer toward the kind of assistance (seeds and organic fertilizers) are at the very satisfy level based on the reason that the quality of seeds is adequate to use (selected from the best local seeds) and organic fertilizers is not harm the soil. Similarly, the quantity of the distributed items is enough to be used by the farmers. While, they did not satisfy for tools (hoe) because of the number received is less than the number of beneficiaries. In the side, the acceptance level of the nutmeg farmers toward the kind of assistance (seeds, organic fertilizer and hoe are at the high level category because of those items distributed are well accepted and able to suit their basic needs on the ground. for items not enough for all the members (hoe), they literally manage it collectively.