Determinant Factors Affecting The Allocation Of Farmers' Working Hours In Maize Farming In Gorontalo Regency, Indonesia.

Abstract

The present work seeks to: (1) examine the influence of household income sources other than maize on the allocation of working hours in maize farming; and (2) analyse the determinant factors that affect the allocation of working hours of farmers in maize farming. This study was conducted in Gorontalo Regency and applied the survey method and relied on questionnaires and interviews to collect data. While the sampling technique uses multistage purposive random sampling, which includes district, village, and farmer household samples selection. The districts comprised Limboto and Telaga Biru, considering both were potential maize-producing areas. In addition, the selected villages, including Tenilo and Tilihuwa Villages, represented the Limboto District, and Modelidu and Dulamayo Utara Villages represented the Telaga Biru District. The sample units totalled 87 respondents, randomly chosen using proportional allocation based on the sample village. The findings indicated that: (1) An increase in income sourced from non-maize farming and outside the agricultural sector would reduce the allocation of working hours for farmers in maize farming; (2) The determinants of land area, age, experience, education, productive labour force, number of family dependents, maize farming income, other non-maize farm income, and non-agricultural income simultaneously have a significant effect on the allocation of farmers' working hours on farming maize. Partially, the factors that have a significant effect are land area, age, maize farming experience, maize farming income, and non-maize farming income, while other factors have no significant effect