ISSN: 2222-6990
Open access
Palm oil is an important cash crop for Malaysia and determining the factors affecting the diffusion of this cash crop is considered a viable strategy for attracting farmers to take up palm oil farming. Hence, a study to determine acceptance of oil palm innovation is very important as it will provide insights into the factors that influence acceptance, thereby informing the authorities concern of steps to take to improve acceptance. This study measured the influence of palm oil innovation characteristics, the level of knowledge, social system and communication channels towards acceptance of agricultural innovation among smallhoder palm oil farmers. Diffusion of Innovation Theory is adopted in formulating the theoretical framework to measure how the palm oil innovation is diffused among the smallholder farming community. This study employed a quantitative approach to obtain data from smallholder farmers in an area in Sarawak, East Malaysia. A survey using questionnaire was used to collect data from ninety nine (99) sampled respondents representing the smallhoder palm oil farmers. The questionnaire variables and items were mainly measured using 5-point likert scale. Both inferential and descriptive analysis were used to analyse the data. From the findings, only the characteristics of innovation and communication channels significantly influenced the acceptance of oil palm innovation among the farmers in the East Coast of Malaysia. However, the influence of communication channels was negative. This implies, in diffusing an innovation among traditional farmers, characteristics of the innovation should be the main focus. Meanwhile, the use of communication channels to diffuse innovation, especially radio and new media for development should be geared up as an aspect of development communication. Future research could replicate the study to include other parts of Malaysia in other to compare best practices for oil palm innovation acceptance.
Ahmed, H., Tolba & Mourad, M. (2013). Individual and cultural factors affecting diffusion of innovation. Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies, 4, 1-16.
Ab Rahman, A. (2014). Overview of the Malaysian oil palm industry. Simposium Sawit 24 Januari 2014, Lumut, Perak.
Ayoade, A. R., & Akintonde, J. O. (2012). Constraints to Adoption of Agricultural Innovations among Women Farmers in Isokan Local Government Area, Osun State. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2 (8), 57-61.
Bashar, K. A., Akhter, M. A., Mia, N., Afroj, M. A. T., Rahman, M. M., & Baque, M. A. (2016). Diffusion of agricultural innovation through opinion leadership. International Journal of Business, Management and Social Research, 2 (2), 125-131.
Daghfous, N., Petrof, J., & Pons, F. (1999). Values and Adoption of Innovation: A Cross Cultural Study. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 16 (4), 314-31.
Egwu, E. W. (2015). Factors affecting farmer’s adoption of agricultural innovation in Delta State. Global Journal of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development, 3 (2), 177-182.
Farquharson, R. J., Martin, R. J., McCorkell, B., Scott, J. F., Sotheary, E., Phaloeun, C., Sophors, H., Sinath, S., Monida, C., Sinarong, S., Sokun, B. (2013). Characteristics of an Agricultural Innovation and Incentives for Adoption: Rhizobium in Cambodia, International Journal of Environmental and Rural Development, 4(2), 44-49.
Ghane, F., Samah, B. A., Ahmad, A., & Idris, K. (2011). The role of social influence and innovation characteristics in the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices by paddy farmers in Iran. International Conference on Social Science and Humanity IPEDR vol.5, Singapore.
IFLA. (2017). Development and Access to Information 2017. Den Haag Netherlands www.ifla.org
Iqbal, M., Bashir, A., & Farooq, U. (1999). Factors affecting the adoption of hybrid maize varieties in the irrigated Punjab. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology, 1, (3), 149-151.
Kafle, B. (2010). Determinants of Adoption of Improved Maize Varieties in Developing Countries: A Review International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences, 1 (1), 1-7.
Kigatiira, K. K., Mberia, H. K., & Wangula, K. (2018). The Effect of Communication Channels used between Extension Officers and Farmers on the Adoption of Irish Potato Farming. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 8(4), 377– 391.
Mahamood, A. F., Mohammed, R., & Ahmad, M. K. (2016). The Use of Communication Technology Channel in Agricultural Development by Malaysia Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA). Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Arts and Sciences, 3 (2), 27-36.
Mannan, S., & Nordin, S. M. (2014). The Influence of Innovation Attributes on New Technologies Adoption by Paddy Farmers. International Review of Management and Business Research, 3 (3), 1379-1384.
McKenzie, F. C. (2011). Farmer-driven innovation in agriculture: creating opportunities for sustainability [PhD Thesis] School of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney.
Morris, M., & Ogan, C. (1996). The Internet as mass medium. Journal of Communication, 45(1), 39-50.
Ochienno, J. T. (2014). Influence of communication on adoption of agricultural innovation: A case of the system of rice intensification in mwea irrigation scheme [Master Thesis] School of Journalism at the University of Nairobi).
Ogola, P. A. (2013). Assessing communication channels and the impact of Agricultural information used by farmers in watermelon production in Yimbo East Ward, Siaya County. [A Research Project] School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Nairobi.
Okwu, O. J., & Daudu, S. (2011). Extension communication channels’ usage and preference by farmers in Benue State, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, 3 (5), 88-94.
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations. Cambridge: The Free Press.
Rogers, E. M. (1983). Diffusion of Innovations. Cambridge: The Free Press.
Sahin, S. (2006). Detailed review of rogers’ diffusion of innovations theory and educational technology-related studies based on Rogers’ theory. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 5, (2), 14-23.
Senyolo, M. P., Long, T. B., Blok, V., & Omta, O. (2018). How the characteristics of innovations impact their adoption: An exploration of climate-smart agricultural innovations in South Africa. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, 3825-
3840. https://doi.org/(...).jclepro.2017.06.019
Siangu, G. W. (2O15). Role Of Communication Channels in the diffusion of Organizational Innovations: A Case Study Of Mumias Sugar Company-Kenya. [A masers thesis]. Moi University, Kenya.
Tanakinjal, G. H., Deans, K. R., & Gray, B. J. (2010). Innovation Characteristics, Perceived Risk, Permissibility and Trustworthiness in the Adoption of Mobile Marketing. Journal of Convergence Information Technology, 3 (2). 9-14.
In-Text Citation: (Saad & Salman, 2021)
To Cite this Article: Saad, S., & Salman, A. (2021). Acceptance of Oil Palm Innovation Among Smallholder Farmers in East Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(9), 184–204.
Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode