Judul: Penguatan Kapasitas Pengolah Sagu Tradisional untuk Mendukung Diversifikasi Pangan di Maluku
Abstrak: Traditional sago processors have an important role in the development of sago in Maluku which aims not only to increase income of sago processors, but also to support food diversification in Maluku and Indonesia. In fact, traditional sago processors still have many problems to produce sago products which suited for consumer. Sago products are generally traditional products that have been known for a long time, such as sagu lempeng, bagea , and serut that less able to compete with other food products primarily made from wheat. It caused sago consumption declining day by day. For this, efforts are needed to improve capabilities of the traditional sago processors by strengthening their capacity. Strengthening the capacity could be achieved if it is really in accordance with their actual conditions, both their socio-economic conditions and capacities level at this time. Research objectives were: (1) to describe socio economic profile and capacities level of traditional sago processors, (2) to analyze the relationship between capacities and productivity and income of traditional sago processors, and (3) to make a design of extension strategy for strengthening capacity of traditional sago processors. Research was conducted in the Districts of Central Maluku and West Seram from January 2012 until April 2012. Sample size was 204 households of sago starch processing which determined from population (416 households) by Slovin formula with degree of error 5% and drawn by simple random sampling method using name list of traditional sago processor. Socio economic profile and level of capacities of traditional sago processor were described with descriptive and simple statistic. Spearman correlation was used to analyze the relation between variables, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the dominant factors influencing the capacity and to know fit empirical research model. The result showed that social economic profile of traditional sago processors were in good conditions to support capacity strengthening; their generally in productive age, high motivation to do business, and still have social and culture values of sago. Personal capacity was in medium category where no business plan, still have many unsolved problems, didn’t have a good match with consumer’s taste, and promotion never been done. Business capacity was in medium category too where there was no capital resource except their own, business financial was mix with household financial, primarily used cheaper labor if needed. They counted on oldest habitual more and less attention to product quality. Often, capital problems made them couldn’t replace broken tools. There was no problem with marketing, but they could reach district market only. Although selling volume was relatively stable, but difficult to expand market. Spearman correlation analysis showed that personal capacity has positive and significant influence on business capacity, productivity, and income. Business capacity has positive and very significant influence on productivity and income. Further analysis with SEM showed that social economic profile (age, length of time in business, motivation and individual beliefs about the social and cultural values of sago) have positive and significant influence on personal capacity. In the next term, personal capacity has positive and significant influence on business capacity. Agricultural extension institution has
Keyword: extension institution, food diversification, strategy of capacity strengthening, traditional sago processor