The usage of mechanization in harvesting oil palm fruit: perspective of smallholders / Muhammad Shahrul Akmal Shafie

In the Malaysian oil palm industry, the beginning of the mechanization era was start with the introduction of mini-tractors in the early1980s. The low acceptance of mechanization by smallholders is due to farmers’ decisions about whether and how to adopt new mechanization and they are also related with the characteristics of the technology itself and the condition of the area to be implement. Theory of Planned Behavior which consist of attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control and knowledge has being used as conceptual framework for conducted survey in this study. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to examine the perspective of smallholders toward the usage of mechanization in harvesting oil palm fruit. Felda Chini Timur 3 in Chini, Pahang, has been chosen to conduct the survey due to its location and condition fit the problem arises with the 351 of total population made the respondent targeted is about 181 sample based on Krejcie and Morgan table. This study employed the correlation and multiple regression analysis to analyze the gathered data. The results for correlation analysis were significant relationship for attitude and subjective norms variables toward dependent variable while for the regression analysis method it was attitude variable become the most influenced factor toward the usage of mechanization in harvesting oil palm fruit among smallholders. Hence, the mechanization would decrease the dependency to the foreign workers and thus increase the oil palm productivity.