Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

FARMERS ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE TRADITIONAL MAIZE YIELD PROCESSING CALLED ‘JAGUNG KATEMAK’ FOR FOOD SECURITY IN WEST TIMOR OF EAST NUSA TENGGARA PROVINCE, INDONESIA

Leta Rafael Levis, Keppi Sukesi, Sugiyanto and Yayuk Yuliati

Abstract

Despite farmer in West Timor being dominantly small and marginal farmers, they have their ancestral heritage as indigenous local knowledge in processing maize yield for their staple food called ‘jagung katemak’ as an alternative for food security. This study was conducted to determine maize’s farmer attitude toward ‘jagung katemak’ for food security and to identify social-economic factors influenced farmer attitude. This study was carried out in two villages under Kupang and Timor Tengah Selatan districts in West Timor. The thirty percent of maize farmer were randomly chosen as a sample of the study from a population of 407 maize farmers to become 123 respondents. Data were collected using an interview schedule from 1st May to 15th June 2016. The results showed 75.61 percent of maize farmers had unfavorable attitudes, while it was only 1.63 percent favorable. The education level, innovation proneness, friendship, and marketing had significant correlation to their attitude. The Government poor attention on extension services was the most important problem. Hence, the most important solutions is that the government should apply the quality of extension services frequently to encourage farmers to appreciate this local wisdom and sustaining practice of local indigenous food processing.