Thursday, July 30, 2015

RMK KE 11 - TUGASAN DOA


Salam PERPETA,

Pembentangan cadangan projek Jabatan Pertanian untuk Rancangan MAlaysia ke 11 telah diadakan di Economic Planning Unit (EPU), Jabatan Perdana Menteri pada 24 Jun 2014. Delegasi Jabatan Pertanian yang diketuai oleh KPP dan TKPP(P) diiringi pengarah-pengarah bahagian dan wakil telah berjaya membentangkan cadangan-cadangan projek. EPU amat positif dengan cadangan projek Jabatan Pertanian dengan memperakukan banyak ratus juta dan perlukan beberapa peringkat lagi untuk dikemaskini. PERPETA akan menyokong semua cadangan pembangunan pertanian dalam RMK Ke 11 agar ia berjaya memacu sektor pengeluaran makanan negara kearah makanan yang berkualiti, selamat dimakan dan mencukupi. 







Oleh,
AJK PERPETA,
Jabatan Pertanian
Putrajaya
(12 Ramadan 1436H)

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

JAMUAN RAYA JABATAN PERTANIAN 2015

SELAMAT HARI RAYA,

Majlis Jamuan Hari Raya Jabatan Pertanian Tahun 2015 telah diadakan pada 30 Julai 2015 bertempat di Taman Flori, Pusat Flora Cheras, Selangor. Ia dianjurkan bersama diantara Ibupejabat Jabatan Pertanian Putrajaya dan juga Jabatan Pertanian Negeri Selangor.  Majlis yang dihadiri oleh ramai warga Jabatan Pertanian dan Presiden serta AJK serta ahli-ahli PERPETA ini merupakan satu majlis yang gemilang dan berjaya. Majlis dihadiri sama oleh Ketua Pengarah Pertanian, Timbalan Ketua Pengarah Pertanian (P), Pengarah-pengarah Bahagian/Wakil dan Pengarah Pertanian Negeri serta ramai warga Jabatan Pertanian. Turut hadir pesara-pesara Jabatatan Pertanian terdiri daripada bekas Ketua Pengarah Pertanian dan pegawai yang lain didalam majlis tersebut. Terdapat lebih daripada 15 gerai makanan disediakan oleh Bahagian-bahagian,  Negeri dan NGO termasuk Gerai PERPETA. Seperti tahun sebelum ini PERPETA menyumbangkan hidangan Ais Krim yang sememangnya menjadi juadah pencuci mulut paling popular. Sempena Hari Raya ini Presiden dan semua AJK memohon apun dan maaf jika ada kesalahan dan kelemahan yang berlaku kepada semua. Majlis yang gilang gemilang ini berjaya mengeratkan silaturahin diantara warga jabatan dengan jayanya.
SELAMAT HARI RAYA 2015.




Ketua Pengarah memberikan ucapan.

 Kehadiran VVIP Jabatan Pertanian dimajlis tersebut.


Warga Jabatan Pertanian menjamu selera dan berinteraksi.

Inilah satu dari 3 perisa aiskrimPERPETA jamuan raya 2015. Lazat...

Oleh,
Presiden PERPETA,
Jabatan Pertanian
Putrajaya.
(30 Julaii 2015)

MENTERI PERTANIAN BARU

Salam PERPETA,

Warga DOA dan Ahli PERPETA telah dikejutkan pada 28 Julai 2015 dengan pengumuman YAB Perdana Menteri dengan rombakan kabinet yang melibatkan perlantikan Menteri Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani yang baru. Menteri kita yang baru adalah YB Dato Seri Ahmad Sabery Cheek dan Timbalan masik Kekal dengan YB Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman. PERPETA dan semua warga Jabatan Pertanian mengucapkan tahniah kepada YB Menteri Baru kita dan berdoa agar dibawah kepimpinan beliau MOA akan terus kukuh dan hebat dimasa akan datang. PERPETA juga mengucapkan ucapan jutaan terimakasih kepada mantan Menteri kita yang lama iaitu Dato Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob yang memberikan banyak idea serta komitment dalam pembanguan pertanian. Semuga kita mendapat kebaikan diatas kepimpinan yang baru ini.

Berikut Senarai Baru Kabinet Malaysia mulai 29 Julai 2015:


Oleh,
Presiden dan AJK,
PERPETA,
Jabatan Pertanian
Putrajaya.
(29 Julai 2015)  

JAMUAN RAYA MOA 2015

Selamat Hari Raya 2015,

Majlis Jamuan Hari Raya 2015 Kementerian Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani Telah diadakan pada 29 Julai 2015 bertempat di Dewan A, MAEPS, Serdang, Selangor. Presiden, Timbalan Presiden dan ramai AJK serta Ahli PERPETA yang telah hadir meraikan majlis tersebut yang bermula jam 10.00 pagii sehingga 3.00 petang. Kehadiran bekas Menteri Pertanian hanya pada sebelah petang untuk bersama-sama dengan warga MOA. Lebih daripada 5,000 pengunjung hadir termasuk semua warga dibawah MOA, Ketua-ketua Jabatan, NGO dan Anak-anak Yatim serta orang ramai. Sebanyak 23 Gerai Makanan disediakan oleh Jabatan dan Agensi dengan pelbagai pilihan juadah. Perhimpunan ini mengeratkan silaturahim dikalangan warga MOA. 



Oleh,
Presiden
Jabatan Pertanian
Putrajaya
Malaysia
(30 Julai 2015)

Thursday, July 16, 2015

SELAMAT HARI RAYA 2015

SELAMAT HARI RAYA,

Presiden dan AJK PERPETA mengucapkan 'Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri' kepada Muslimin dan Muslimat yang menyambutnya pada tahun 2015 ini. Disepanjang tahun ini banyak isu-isu mengenai perjawatan dibangkitkan oleh ahli-ahli terutama menganai proses pengisian jawatan kosong diperingkat tertinggi, pertengahan dan lain-lain gred. PERPETA telah berusaha membincangkan dengan pihak pengurusan dalam proses pengisian jawatan ini. KSU MOA telah juga membuat perjumpaan dengan pegawai kanan Jabatan Pertanian pada 14 Julai 2015 mengenai perkara ini. Tahun ini juga berlaku proses penyediaan cadangan penstrukturan semula Jabatan Pertanian yang melibatkan semua Bahagian dan Negeri-negeri. Sama-sama kita berdoa agar apa yang dilakukan oleh pihak pengurusan dan PERPETA mendapat keizinannya jua. PERPETA akan ambil bahagian dalam Jamuan Raya Jabatan Pertanian yang akan diadakan di Cheras, Selangor. Sempena bulan baik ini kami pohon ampun dan maaf atas segala kesalahan, kelemahan dan kekurangan. Semuga ianya akan mengeratkan lagi silaturahim kita. Wasalam.

SELAMAT HARI RAYA

MAAF ZAHIR BATIN!.

Disediakan oleh,,
Presiden PERPETA
Jabatan Pertanian,
PUTRAJAYA
(1 Syawal 1436H)

Sunday, July 5, 2015

AGRICULTURE EXTENSION - A REVIEW


APPLICATION OF STATISTICS IN AGRICULTURE EXTENSION: A REVIEW OF ITS RELEVANCE IN THE MALAYSIAN ARICULTURE FOOD CROP SECTOR
Kalaivanan Nadarajah1   Pirakas Athmanathan2



ABSTRAK

Sungguhpun statistik amat berguna di dalam kerja-kerja pengembangan, ianya jarang digunakan dalam pelaporan dan proses membuat keputusan oleh pegawai-pegawai pengembangan di Malaysia. Ini mungkin disebabkan faktor-faktor berikut; kurang pengetahuan tentang faedah statistik, kerumitan kerja-kerja mengumpul data, masa serta kos dan sikap. Kertas ini telah mengenalpasti penggunaan statistik sebagai alat  pengembangan yang boleh digunakan sepanjang masa untuk mengenalpasti isu-isu dalam pengeluaran dan  memberikan gambaran yang lebih tepat tentang hasil ladang. Pengunaan Statistik Descriptive dicadangkan sebab dengan  latihan minimum kita  dapat memastikan data yang tepat dikutip dan dibentang kepada pihak pengurusan untuk tujuan membuat keputusan dan mencapai perubahan yang diinginkan. Cadangan penggunaan perician Microsoft Excel, SPSS dan Expert Systems (Perisian Site Specific Decision Making Tool) dicadangkan bagi mendapatkan laporan kuantitatif berkaitan hasil serta faktor-faktor yang menjejaskan kualiti hasil ladang.Cadangan dibuat untuk memperkukuhkan fungsi latihan Pengurusan Ladang serta penggunaan statistik yang lebih luas dikalangan petani dalam usaha mewujudkan petani bijak. Pelbagai fungsi dan kegunaan statistik turut dibincang sebagai peringatan relevannya statistik didalam aktiviti pengembangan pertanian masa kini.


ABSTRACT

Statistics although a useful tool in agriculture extension, is seldom used in reporting and decision making by extension workers in Malaysia. Reasons could be due to; lack of knowledge and awareness of its benefits, cumbersome data collection, time and cost factor and  attitude. This paper has  identified specific uses of statistics as a extension tool and calls for all extension workers to apply statistics daily to identify issues as well as describe farm output in a sensible way. The paper suggests a greater use of descriptive statistics so that with minimum training, accurate  information is collected, presented to the management and subsequently used to plan and direct changes. Suggestions include the wider use of tools such as Microsoft Excel, SPSS and Expert Systems (Site Specific Decision Making Tool) to quantitatively describe yield and crop quality issues. It also suggests strengthening the Farm Management Training function of the Department of Agriculture and the use of Expert Systems to make farm level decisions based of quantitative science. The paper also suggests encouraging farmers to explore Statistics in an effort to create knowledge workers. The paper clearly outlines the relevance of statistics in today’s agriculture extension.



INTRODUCTION

The agriculture sector presents volumes of data and profiles that include; land use, yield, crop composition, fertility level, pest level and irrigation efficiency. The Department’s pest surveillance report is an example of the active use of statistics where pest occurrence is sampled, composite data collected, complied and analysed for recommending pest control measures. However, it was observed that extension workers and even commercial farmers in most of the agriculture food sector, still shy away from using statistics in recording and reporting performance. This has led to the continued misreporting and inaccurate reflection of land use, crop acreage, grade, yield levels and even yield factor issues such as pest level, fertility level and irrigation. Agriculture agencies and even commercial farmers fail to understand and explain quantitatively, yield gaps and unachieved income targets. Public policy on Agriculture calls for maximum yield levels, precision farming and knowledge farmers, therefore the use of statistics by extension workers will only add professionalism in data collection, analysing, reporting and recommendations. Beginning 2014, all extension workers have been ungraded to the sub professional level and no longer operate as technicians, therefore their ability to apply analytical tools such as statistics should no longer be an option.

Fields of application and variables of interest
Several fields for the application of statistics by extension workers and commercial farmers include;
  1. Site specific description  of yield
  2. Site specific description of pest occurrences
  3. Site specific description of irrigation/ drainage
  4. Site specific description of fertility
  5. Site specific description of disorders and other physiological problems
  6. Land use statistics (within the farm)
  7. Farm operations level; machine costs, labor costs, direct and indirect costs estimations etc.
  8. Business level; sales, cash flow, costs analysis, ROI, IRR and portfolio analysis etc.

Besides the farm level usage of statistics, the agencies can explore performance measurement such as;
  1. Productivity per unit area  or time
  2. Productivity comparison between blocks (inter and intra)
  3. Productivity comparison between districts
The full use of descriptive statistics and some extent of inferential statistics using software such as windows excel and SPSS is sufficient to explore the above fields. Inferences drawn can be used to suggest corrective actions.

Data collection and description
The application of statistics begins with data collection. Often incorrect methods of data collection such as improper scale and sampling methods, lead to wasteful reports and unreliable information. The use of the range of error in recording data becomes useful in ensuring accuracy and reliability of data. For example, the average weight of corn cobs per plant should be recorded as 12+0.1kg if the smallest unit in the measuring scale is 0.1kg. Agencies must establish safe sampling methods for data collection based on local needs. Finally, the use of Descriptive Statistics will simplify data processing, reporting and presenting a good quantitative report.

Central tendency; mean, mode and median
The use of mean (or average) and mode (the most popular or frequent value) by extension workers to describe yield or other parameters is so popular that it often misleads the management. This is because it is not a good measurement of central tendency and also does not take into consideration outliers or extreme values that distort the information. The mean does not give a picture of the scatterness of the values which is required for inferences and corrective actions. Thus, a description of the actual dispersion in any population is recommended.

Dispersion
The simplest view of the dispersion or scatterness of any population such as yield can be seen in a histogram of the frequency of individual values. The histogram, pie chart and Bar chart are popularly used to give gross information of the distribution of values. The standard deviation can be used to check the deviation from the mean and can be used to compare two or more samples if their mean and units are similar. The use of coefficient of variation is strongly recommended as a common tool for the comparison of values between populations in agriculture. Beyond descriptive statistics, extensionist often use correlation to explain yield and its association with causal factors such as; rainfall, variety, control methods, fertilizer and chemical inputs, investment level, man days, machine hours etc. However, the use of correlation will yield inaccurate interpretations if yield models are not tested for site specific use. 


ISSUES AND DISCUSSIONS
Selection
The proper selection of farmers for training and distribution of aid is critical for the success of the extension program. Extension officers should minimize the predominant use of qualitative measurements, estimations and perception to select deserving farmers. This paper suggests the use of expert systems to analyse and select the best lists of projects, farmers and sites for extension activities.
The system should allow the user to key in, select and process fields such as; age, present yield, size of farm, frequency of participation in previous trainings, income level and other features such as the suitability of the site.

Technology Transfer
Over the years, the Department of Agriculture through its extension services and technical support has improved basic yield levels of most major crops such as rice, vegetable and fruits.  However, to maximize yield levels, we have to analyse statistically and present suggestions in a convincing way as yield and grades are influenced by a multitude of factors. Secondly, in an effort to improve grades of farm produce, technologists can use statistics to confirm which corrective actions yield results and discard other factors that are not significant. Analysis on the increase in the percentage (%) of grade A from one season to the other can be attributed to several actions and the farmer needs to be educated.
Without quantitative measurement and reporting, there is a risk of reports based on perception as there is a tendency to explain yield changes or even grades through opinions based on perception.
Using statistics farmers and extension agents can together identify deviations from crop manuals and secure yield and qualities guaranteed by researches.



Farm Management
Costs analysis is an integral part of farm management as farming is basically another business. The investor needs to accurately analyse the fixed and operational costs for each season and use specific cash flow spread sheets. With the proper use of statistics farmers can ensure accurate costs analysis and therefore choose the best crops.

Suggestions
Public policy on farmer training should favour empowering the farmer with knowledge and reduce government spending on farm inputs often used as an inducement to increase productivity. Thereby, agencies can invest public funds in training and procurement of  tools such as statistics software.
Both the extension worker and the farmer need to identify significant causal factors (yield factors) and analyse yield gaps through the use of statistics. Officers should refer to research material presented based on data from their locality, such as the rice yield-training correlation studies (Kalaivanan,2000). Only expert opinion will be useful in ensuring that apt statistical methods are used and results well interpreted for even in the simple mean and range estimations, only experts can identify outliers.

The Department Of Agriculture as the lead extension service provider can consider the following;
  1. Establish Farm Management Training functions within its organization.
  2. Equip all extension workers with tools in Basic Statistics and insists on the frequent use of descriptive statistics in reporting, while considering exploring Inferential Statistics.
  3. Establish a policy on limiting direct farm inputs by percentage (%) so that a clear amount can be set for training in tools like statistics.
  4. Besides its use in extension work, statistics can be used in performance management and in presenting a more convincing budget for the procurement of logistics and fund for training from the state and federal treasury.
  5. Use of expert systems to serve as decision making tools in selection of recipients for training and inputs and to ensure adherence to crop manuals and package technology.

Conclusion
Agriculture Extension agencies can freely apply statistics from the selection process of projects till the analysis of project outcome to ensure farm productivity, accountability, budget efficiency and transparency in implementation. Its application is highly relevant for the effective delivery of all agriculture technologies.

Acknowledgment
The writers wish to thank all extension workers of the Department of Agriculture Malaysia.

REFERENCES
[2]   Kalaivanan,N (2000) Effect Of Extension Training On Rice Yield, MSc Report, Department of Business Studies, School of Graduate Studies, University Utara Malaysia.

[3]   Seema J. (1981) Descriptive Statistics and Exploratory Data Analysis (pp.5-6), Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New Delhi.


By,
AJK PERPETA
Jabatan Pertanian,
Putrajaya.
(6 Julai 2015)

Thursday, July 2, 2015

IFTAR RAMADAN 2015

SALAM PERPETA,

Majlis Iftar Ramadan 2015 Jabatan Pertanian telah diadakan di Dewan IPS Serdang, Selangor pada 2 Julai 2015 telah dirasmikan oleh Ketua Pengarah Pertanian. Maljis ini yang dihadiri oleh Ketua Pengarah Pertanian, TKPP(P), Pengarah- pengarah Bahagian, Ahli PERPETA, Pegawai Pertanian Daerah, Pegawai Jabatan Pertanian dan pelajar IPS merupakan acara tahunan Jabatan Pertanian. Majlis tahunan ini dikelolakan oleh Bahagian PSM dengan kerjasama PERPETA dan AKRAB. Kutipan derma dilancarkan oleh PERPETA untuk mengutip derma daripada wargakerja Jabatan Pertanian beberapa minggu sebelum diadakan majlis ini, Sebanyak RM3,000 lebih telah diterima untuk didermakan dalam majlis ini. 

Aturcara Majlis  dimulakan dengan ketibaan jemputan, ceramah, penyampaian sumbangan derma daripada PERPETA dari warga Jabatan Pertanian. Penceramah Jemputan adalah Ustaz Mohd Zamri Mohd Shapik daripada Institut Latihan Islam Malaysia, JAKIM Bangi. Penceramah menerangkan TAKWA dalam bulan Ramadan yang dikaitkan dengan sektor pertanian selama 1.5 jam (Sila lihat foto disebelah). Seterusnya adalah penyampaian derma kepada Tabung Masjid Serdang dan Tabung Kebajikan Pelarian Rohingya yang disampaikan oleh TKPP(P). Selepas azan Maghrib diadakan  acara berbuka puasa dan kemudian sembahyang Maghrib seecara Berjemaah dan diikuti dengan jamuan Majlis Makan Malam. Seramai lebih dari 400 jemputan hadir majlis ini. Majlis ini amat berjaya mengeratkan hubungan diantara semua lapisan warga Jabatan Pertanian dengan pihak pengurusan dan pelajar-pelajar IPS. PERPETA mengucapkan ribuan terimakasih kepada semua warga Jabatan Pertanian yang menghulurkan derma anjuran PERPETA semuga mendapat ganjaran jua. Wasallam.



Oleh,
Presiden PERPETA,
Jabatan Pertanian
Putrajaya.
(2 Julai 2015)