Labor productivity of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) farmers in Central Java Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract The Central Java Province primarily contributes to the national food supply, serving as one of the leading centers for rice production on Java Island. In this province, there are indications of a shift in the interests of the population working in the agricultural sector, moving to other sectors outside of agriculture. This phenomenon is related to the productivity of the workforce in the agricultural sector. Based on that reality, this research examines labor productivity in lowland rice farming in the Central Java Province. The study is conducted in the Grobogan and Sukoharjo Regencies of the Central Java Province, involving 250 samples of lowland rice farmers. The research results indicate that labor productivity in lowland rice farming in the Central Java Province is 1.5 quintals/human working day. The labor productivity Hayami–Ruttan model analysis shows that seed, urea fertilizer, and pesticide quantity, as well as planting area, formal education, and age of farmers, significantly and positively influence labor productivity in wet rice farming in Central Java. The independent variables in the model can explain 61.12% of the variation in labor productivity in wet rice farming. Farmers must pay attention to these variables when implementing wet rice farming practices to increase labor productivity and profit so they do not have to work outside the agriculture sector.