Author:
Bambang Surya Adji Syahputra
Affiliation:
Faculty of Science & Technology, Agrotechnology Department, Panca Budi University
Keyword(s):
Socioeconomics, rural area, integrated, rice-fish system
Abstract:
The research aims to analyze the characteristics and socioeconomics of farmers in rural area at Teluk Intan, Perak, Malaysia especially their roles in integrated rice-fish system. Data were gathered from farmers having roles in integrated rice-fish farming system (30 samples) using interviews with questioners about socioeconomic background, both past and present. Data related to their roles in rice-fish farming system and their related functions in the development of the rural area and economic welfare were presented. All farmers in this study area were Malaysian Muslims. The average age of farmers in this study was 55.43 years and almost 33.33% of the farmers were above the age of 60 years. Most farmers in the research location faced problems of limited resources, low output prices, insufficient irrigation, pests, insufficient capital, and weedy rice. As weedy rice is the most serious problem in the rice fields, most farmers hope assistance from appropriate agencies to solve this
problem. Basically, rice-fish system changes the operational cost from buying pesticides to buying fingerlings and equipments for rice-fish culture. The system also reduces the dependency of rice fields on pesticides.
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