Farmers Perception and Income in the Development of Organic Vegetables During Pandemic Covid 19

Abstract

The study aims to analyze farmers' perceptions and income levels in developing organic vegetable farming during pandemic covid 19. The study was conducted in Mahu, Haria, and Saparua Villages on Saparua Island, Central Maluku Regency, in June-July 2020. The village's determination was carried out by purposive sampling because the three villages were the locations for developing organic vegetable farming on Saparua Island. The research sample was 35 organic vegetable farmers who were taken deliberately (purposive sampling) because they were the originators of organic farming in the three villages. The results showed that farmers' perceptions of the benefits of organic vegetable farming are greater than 80 percent. Farmers 'perceptions of the ease of making organic fertilizers and vegetable pesticides are greater than 70 percent, and farmers' perceptions of the risk of vegetable farming are greater than 60 percent. The results of the factors affecting the income of farmers' organic vegetables can be seen as a calculated F_counts of 8.84, meaning that simultaneously all production variables, depreciation of equipment, organic fertilizer, vegetable pesticides, labor wages, land area and DCovid-19 (the covid-19 dummy variable, for the unaffected locations, has a value of 0 and 1 for the affected locations) have a significant effect on income variables. The coefficient of determination is 61.9 percent meaning that 61.9 percent of the income level can be explained by production variables, depreciation of equipment, organic fertilizer, vegetable pesticides, labor wages, land area and DCovid-19. In comparison, other factors outside the model explain the remaining 38.1 percent income level.