Factors affecting maize farming’s decision-making process as an attribute in production sustainability analysis in Percut Sei Tuan Subdistrict, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatera Province

Abstract

Maize is a crucial staple food in Indonesia after rice. The decision of farmers to plant maize is driven by many factors which affect their behaviour when deciding to cultivate maize. Deli Serdang Regency is one of the maize-producing centres in North Sumatera Province. Meanwhile, Percut Sei Tuan Subdistrict is one of the subdistricts with the highest planting area, harvest area, and production in Deli Serdang. This research was conducted to determine what factors influence farmers’ decision to cultivate maize, and how the process of taking it occurs. Binary Logistics regression analysis was used to analyse primary data obtained from interviews. The results showed that the farmers’ age, experience in farming maize, number of dependents, and extension attendance frequency, had an insignificant effect on farmers’ decisions to plant maize. In contrast, the ease of farming had a positive and significant impact. Many farmers in the research area cultivated maize since they thought growing maize was less difficult than other crops. The farmers decided to cultivate maize instead of other crops through three stages, namely the knowledge stage, the persuasion stage, and the decision stage. Farmers’ motivation to cultivate maize is one of the attributes in the maize production’s sustainability analysis.