Abstract:
This research aims to investigate famers' perception about oil palm cultivation and to know the process of adoption and diffusion among farmers. The research method was survey with Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) technique through • Focus Group Discussion (FOO) and interviewed to 15 independent smallholder farmers and ex- plasma smallholder formers. Descriptive analysis was done to analyze the first and second purpose. The research results indicate, first, perception of farmers about farming of oil palm cultivation, farmers feel that palm oil cultivation profitable and fairly easy to cultivate. Farmers also found that oil palm cultivation docs not damage the environment. The positive attitude has been shown by the farmers and the surrounding communities in term of supporting for farming of oil palm cultivation. Second, the adoption process started from the view, interested, observing, trying in small and large scale to further adopt a broader scale and adopting. While the process of diffusion is a continuous-process of adoption, after ex-plasma smallholder farmers apply, the independent smallholder farmers imitate to cultivate oil palm.
