Affecting Factors the Capacity of Freelance Extension Agents and Its Impacts on Farmers
Indah Listiana, Sumardjo, Dwi Sadono, Prabowo Tjitropranoto

Abstract
Over the next decade, most of the civil servant extension agents will retire, thus it is necessary to prepare reliable freelance extension agents called THL extension agents. However, the capacity building process of extension agents faces many obstacles, therefore, the right solution is required by appropriate utilization of information technology (IT). This study aimed to determine the relationship between the satisfaction level of the farmer and the capacity of THL extension agents using spearman correlation analysis and to study the factors that influence the capacity of extension agents by IT utilization using path analysis. Respondents in this study amounted to 172 THL extension agents and assisted farmers in facilitated BPP (Agricultural Extension Agency) of Lampung Province. The results showed that farmers’ satisfaction level of extension activity was low, THL extension agents’ capacity was in a high category, and there was a significant relationship between farmer satisfaction and THL extension agents’ capacity level. Factors that directly influence extension agents’ capacity level are IT utilization, availability of non-cyber IT, and support of extension agencies.

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