PERCEPTIONS OF RICE FARMERS IN WALANTAKA SUBDISTRICT, SERANG CITY TOWARD COOPERATIVES AS AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR DIFFERENTIATING FACTORS

Abstract

Agricultural activities in Walantaka District have been facing weakened institutional support, with only three of the 28 registered cooperatives remaining active in 2023. Despite this condition, cooperatives continue to serve as an important institutional pillar in agricultural development. This study employed a quantitative approach to examine rice farmers’ perceptions of cooperatives as agricultural institutions in Walantaka District, Serang City. Data were obtained from 295 rice farmers selected through simple random sampling using a structured questionnaire. The association between respondents’ characteristics and their perceptions was assessed using the Chi-square test. The findings revealed that favorable and unfavorable perceptions of cooperatives were distributed in relatively similar proportions among respondents. In addition, farmers’ perceptions were found to be associated with their level of education, farm size, and length of farming experience.