The Motivation of Young Chili Farmers in Sandy Land of Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Senior farmers in Panjatan, Kulonprogo, Yogyakarta, have succeeded in making sandy land a horticultural center. However, this success does not motivate young farmers to continue farming. The declining interest of the agricultural sector of youth occurs because they realize the high risk in agricultural entrepreneurship. This study analyzed young farmers' motivation and roles in horticultural entrepreneurship in the coastal sandy land. A sample of 120 respondents from four farmer groups was taken using simple random sampling. Percentage, mean score, and Spearman's rank correlation at p ≤ 0.05 were employed to analyze the data. There was a significant relationship (p ≤ 0.05) between groups' roles as a vehicle for learning and motivation (rs = 0.25). The role of groups in collaboration and networking was insignificant. Therefore, to motivate young coastal sandy farmers, it is necessary to optimize groups' role as a vehicle for learning. Thus, the government needs to implement a strategy to encourage young farmers' motivation by strengthening their roles by improving their knowledge of horticulture business, including training, internships, and discussions on technological developments by regularly utilizing young farmer group meetings.