The supply of palm oil products is still a central issue in international trade. Indonesia and Malaysia are major suppliers, contributing around 85% of world palm oil. Hence, both countries have an important role, as well as competing with each other in international trade. The palm oil products usually in high demand worldwide include Crude Palm Oil (CPO), which is the main and its derivative products such as Refined Bleached Deodorized (RBD) palm olein and Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD). Therefore, the research aims at assessing the competitiveness of palm oil products between Indonesia and Malaysia in international trade. The Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) and products mapping methods were used in this assessment. The results show that, the value of RCA of Indonesian CPO showed a negative trend, although, still higher than Malaysia, though with positive trend. However, Indonesian RBD palm olein and PFAD have a positive trend compared with Malaysia. Upon using the method of products mapping, it was found that, the palm oil products of both countries were in group A. This is an indication that the products have comparative advantage and export specialization. Therefore, there is need for strategic policies, in both countries, for supporting oil palm activities at the downstream. This will enhance the production of derivative products with the capacity of also meeting demands in the international trade.

This paper deals with communication patterns and conflict in agricultural extension. A strong assumption is that, extension could be expected to enhance agricultural and rural development, but an appropriate communication pattern and conflict in extension remains unsolved. Therefore, the objectives of this paper are three-folds, namely (a) to identify the social processes among actors in implementation of social engineering-based extension and social learning-based extension, (b) to map the communication patterns in agricultural extension, and (iii) to analyze the conflicting functions in agricultural extension. This study uses a Comparative Case Studies Method by focusing on social engineering and social learning in agricultural extension, using a Purposive Sampling Technique. The sample consists of government oficial (including extension officer), prívate sector, researcher and farmer groups. The results show that (i) social process among actors in agricultural extension based on social engineering is more project-oriented (dissociative), while social process in social learning-based extension tends to be cooperation-oriented due to the same interest in achieving goal of programs, especially skill and knowledge improvement (associative), (ii) communication in social engineering-based extension is a linier pattern (top down), while communication in social learning-based extension is using a convergent (participatory) pattern, (iii) conflict in agricultural extension based on social engineering is generally latent (hidden) and will eventually explode and impede extension, impacting group unsolidarity, while in extension based on social learning, conflict generally are on the surface (manifest), and the accommodation is one way to solve. A major implication of these findings is the stepping up of agricultural extension (based on social learning process) which becomes a push factor towards independency group in finding new innovation. The research suggests that social learning-based extension should be developed as a potential way to sustain an important role of extension in agricultural and rural development.

Indonesian people consume rice as their staple food, therefore rice farming is the main source of farming and livelihood for rural residents in Indonesia. Various policies that have been taken by the government to encourage increase in production and productivity of this commodity, but the results have not reached what was expected. This study aims to analyze the factors affecting income of rice farming in Indonesia. The data were analyzed using Multiple Linear Regression Analysis Model (MLRAM). As the results, it found that the significant factors affecting farmers’ income of rice farming in District Maros, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia were productivity, selling prices, and production costs of the rice farming managed by an individual farmer. Then, the MLRAM is a good model in predicting the income of rice farming in the district. In general, these findings are a substantial indicator that imply the importance of improving farm management in order to increase productivity, stabilize selling prices and reduce production costs for rice commodity. By improving farm management, it is expected to encourage farmers to increase their income from rice farming specifically and encourage rural economic growth in Indonesia generally.

Agricultural development towards food self-sufficiency based on increasing production alone has caused the occurrence of environmental disasters that are the impact of the exploitation of natural resources resulting in the scarcity of resources. This paper describes the optimization of land area, revenue, cost (production inputs), income and use of production input based on economic and ecological aspects. In order to sustainability farming by integrating environmental and economic consideration can be made through farmers' decision making with the goal of optimizing revenue based on cost optimization through cocoa based agroforestry model in order to cope with a resource conflict resolution.

Farmers’ satisfaction with new superior varieties (NSVs) is a critical strategy for boosting their adoption. Out of 48 national NSV hybrids produced, only three, including Nasa-29, JH-37, and Bima-10, have been widely distributed at the farmer level. However, no studies have been carried out to establish farmers’ satisfaction of any of the three hybrid maize varieties. As a result, the main aim of this study is to establish farmers’ satisfaction of three-hybrid maize. The survey was conducted in three South Sulawesi maize production districts: Bone, Gowa, and North Luwu, representing the east, west, and transitional zones. A total of 150 farmers from three districts were then deliberately chosen as respondents. Variables such as seed availability, cultivation technology, post-harvest, and product marketing were monitored during our assessment. The data were then analyzed using the importance performance analysis (IPA) method. The findings indicate that seed quality and quantity, disease resistance, low yield, and productivity are the variables that require intervention to improve farmer satisfaction with the superiority of the national hybrid maize NSV. The low price of seeds, the ability to grow at 15 days, the small size of the cob, ease of harvest, and the accessibility of marketing the product at the best price were then deemed adequate variables.