Farmer’s Intention to Adopt Technology in Paddy Farming in Malaysia

Abstract

Malaysia is a prominent rice consumer, there is a significant need to boost rice production as the demand for rice rises due to growing populations. However, local rice production remains low and cannot reach national self-sufficiency. The lower production of rice is due to a few factors such as climate change, aging farmers, low involvement of younger people and many factors. Thus, the government believe that to maximise input efficiency is through the use of technology. The implementation of technology can be seen through the use of mechanization technology such harvester, tractors, seedling machine and blower in paddy farming process. However, it was discovered that the farmers still had some adoption issues and there are many
factors that influencing the level of technology adoption. Therefore, this paper aims to determine the intention to adopt the mechanization technology among the paddy farmers and factors influencing it. Primary data were obtained through a face-to-face survey by using a structured questionnaire. A total of 315 respondents of MADA and 295 respondents of KADA actively involved in paddy cultivation were interviewed. Based on the findings, it was found that majority paddy farmers in MADA have moderate level of intention to use the mechanization technology while on the other hand, the majority paddy farmers in KADA have high intention to use the mechanization technology. The varying levels of intention to adopt mechanization technology among paddy farmers in the MADA and KADA regions of Malaysia have notable impacts on their agricultural productivity and economic sustainability. This study highlights the importance of tailored policy measures to address specific regional challenges. By fostering a supportive environment for mechanization in both regions, policymakers can promote widespread adoption of advanced technologies, leading to improved agricultural productivity, economic resilience, and sustainability across Malaysia's paddy farming communities.