Model for Measuring Post-Harvest Technological Capability of Paddy Farmers in Dealing with Climate Change

Abstract

Extreme weather has been occuring recently in various regions in Indonesia. In the early 2013, this condition has caused flood in Karawang district. The increasing extreme climate indicates that climate change has occurred. Climate change, in the form of high/low rainfall, erratic rainfall or changes in the rainy/dry season, has become problem to paddy farmers in Karawang district. Problem faced by farmers due to climate change is the increase of paddy post-harvest losses. Technological capability of farmers is one of the main factors that play important role in facing such condition. Measurement of post-harvest technological capabilities of paddy farmers in dealing with climate change is carried out using six criteria, i.e the production capability, investment capability, capability to make small changes, capability to make major changes, marketing capability, and capability to create network. The methods used to measure the technological capabilities are the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Non Numeric Multi Expert Multi Criteria Decision Making (ME-MCDM). This study reveals the level of farmer post-harvest technological capabilities in dealing with climate change and provides technology policy recommendation.

Key Words:Climate change, technological capability, level of technological capabilities, policy recommendation