The Role of Social Media Applications in Palm Oil Extension Services in Malaysia (Peranan Aplikasi Media Sosial dalam Khidmat Pengembangan Sawit di Malaysia)
Abstract
The Malaysian palm oil industry faces many challenges, especially in agricultural technology at the plantation level because smallholders have trouble getting detailed information and the latest data on the palm oil industry issues. More
effcient extension services are needed in meeting the need to increase knowledge. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is the best method to accelerate agricultural technology transfer from research institutions to smallholders. Growing concerns about the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on health have prompted development agents to change the course and landscape of their delivery to social media application as a new norm socialisation agent. The study aims to examine the role of information and communication technology as a tool for developing new norms in conveying information and empowering smallholders’ knowledge. This study uses a qualitative approach through content analysis on several reports from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The study found that the use of social media platforms among Malaysians is high, thus the level of application of technology and palm oil information needs to be improved through social media applications. The government needs to develop social media applications that are friendly, easily accessible and the information presented is easy to understand. The implication of this study is that the use of information and communication technology will change the pattern of expansion of the palm oil sector in Malaysia in the future.
Keywords: Smallholder; extension services; smartphone; social media; oil palm
Abstrak
Industri sawit Malaysia menghadapi banyak cabaran terutama sekali dalam konteks penggunaan teknologi pertanian di peringkat ladang. Hal ini kerana para pekebun kecil menghadapi masalah mendapatkan maklumat terperinci dan data terkini tentang isu-isu yang melibatkan industri sawit. Oleh itu, untuk menyelesaikan cabaran pengeluaran, khidmat pengembangan yang lebih efsien amat diperlukan terutama sekali dalam memenuhi keperluan untuk meningkatkan tahap pengetahuan pekebun kecil sawit persendirian. Teknologi Maklumat dan Komunikasi (TMK) merupakan kaedah yang terbaik dalam usaha untuk mempercepatkan pemindahan teknologi pertanian daripada institusi penyelidikan dan pembangunan kepada pekebun kecil. Sementara itu, kebimbangan yang semakin meningkat mengenai impak pandemik covid-19 terhadap kesihatan telah menyebabkan agen pengembangan telah mengubah landasan dan landskap penyampaian mereka kepada penggunaan media sosial sebagai agen sosialisasi norma baru. Objektif utama kajian ini ialah untuk meneliti peranan teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi sebagai alat pengembangan norma baru dalam menyampaikan maklumat dan memperkasakan pengetahuan para pekebun kecil. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif melalui analisis kandungan terhadap beberapa laporan daripada Lembaga Minyak Sawit Malaysia (MPOB) Jabatan Statistik Malaysia (DOSM) dan Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (MCMC). Hasil kajian mendapati penggunaan platform media sosial dalam kalangan penduduk Malaysia adalah tinggi. Kajian juga turut mendapati tahap penerapan teknologi dan maklumat sawit perlu ditambah baik oleh pekebun kecil melalui aplikasi media sosial. Kesimpulan kajian ialah kerajaan perlu membangunkan aplikasi media sosial yang mesra pekebun kecil, mudah dicapai dan maklumat yang disampaikan mudah difahami. Implikasi kajian ini ialah penggunaan teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi akan mengubah corak pengembangan sektor sawit di Malaysia pada masa hadapan.
Kata kunci: Pekebun kecil; khidmat pengembangan; telefon pintar; media sosial; sawit
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