STRATEGI PENYULUHAN PERTANIAN DIGITAL UNTUK PENGEMBANGAN KELOMPOK TANI, KABUPATEN MAROS, SULAWESI SELATAN, INDONESIA = DIGITAL AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF FARMERS GROUPS, MAROS REGENCY, SOUTH SULAWESI, INDONESIA

HAMED NORALLA BAKHEET ALI. Digital agricultural extension strategy for the development of farmers groups, Maros District, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia (supervised by Muhammad Hatta Jamil, Eymal B. Demmallino, and Muslim Salam). Introduction. Agricultural extension remains a cornerstone of rural development in Indonesia, particularly through farmer groups (kelompok tani) that function as collective institutions for learning, coordination, and technology dissemination. However, conventional face-to-face extension systems are increasingly constrained by limited human resources, high operational costs, uneven coverage, and declining farmer participation. These challenges have reduced the capacity of extension services to respond to farmers' evolving production and institutional needs. In response, digital agricultural extension has emerged as a strategic approach to enhance the reach, efficiency, and inclusiveness of extension services. Aim. This study examines the role of digital agricultural extension in strengthening farmer group development in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi, by fostering active farmer institutions and improving digital infrastructure, while addressing persistent socio-institutional constraints. Method. This study adopts a predominantly quantitative research design supported by qualitative inquiry. Survey data were collected from 288 farmers and 26 agricultural extension workers using validated questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) approach. The analysis focuses on farmer groups as collective institutions rather than on individual farmers and examines the relationships among access to digital extension, the use of digital tools, farmer participation, and farmer group development. Results. The results highlight two key findings. First, access to digital agricultural extension services has the strongest direct positive effect on farmer group development (β = 0.41, p < 0.001). Improved access to digital information platforms, online advisory services, and communication channels enhances group coordination, decision-making, and collective learning processes. This finding underscores that digital access functions as a foundational enabler for institutional strengthening within farmer groups. Second, the utilization of digital extension tools significantly contributes to farmer group development, both directly and indirectly through farmer participation (β = 0.36, p < 0.01). Digital tools such as mobile applications, social media, and online information systems increase member engagement, facilitate information sharing, and support collaborative problem-solving. Farmer participation acts as a partial mediator, indicating that digital extension is most effective when it actively stimulates collective involvement rather than merely providing information. Conclusion. The study concludes that digital agricultural extension represents not only a technological innovation but also an institutional transformation process.