The Effect of Risk Communication in Improving Farmers Independence in South Sumatera Province

Risk communication is part of the communication behavior of farmers in minimizing the risks faced by farmers. Risk communication is hypothesized to be able to increase the independence of farmers to be more competitive, filtered power, and partnership. The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of risk communication and the level of independence of rice farmers and see the dominant factors affecting the level of risk communication and independence of farmers. This study method uses a survey approach with a quantitative approach. This study involved 294 farmers in South Sumatra Province using a randomized clustered randomized data collection technique with a disproportionate technique for members of farmer groups. Data were analyzed using descriptive inferencing analysis with the SmartPLS program 3.2.9. The results showed that (1) the level of farmer risk communication was categorized high, especially in the aspects of persuasion, farmer participation, level of collaboration, and dialogue skills while knowledge was moderate. The independent farmer category with competitiveness, filtering system, and the partnership was moderate. (2) The dominant factors ware characteristics, socio-economic, personal characteristics of farmers, level of access to information, level of information quality, and level of characteristics of the institutional environment. Risk communication in increasing farmer independence can be explained by 52% and the rest was influenced by influences outside the model studied.Keywords: institutional support, information sources, farmer