Problems and farmer’s perceptions of the Farmer Card Program in Jember District

Subsidised fertiliser is a government’s effort to increase the purchasing power of farmers in meeting their agricultural input needs by setting the highest retail price (HET). It is intended to be the highest price that can be charged for subsidised fertilisers. Based on the regulations that have been in place since 2017, the distribution of subsidised fertilisers is carried out through the Farmer Card. However, in its implementation thus far, the Farmer Card has not been optimally used for both fertiliser purchase transactions and agricultural credit collection. The purpose of this study is to determine farmers’ perceptions and factors influencing farmers’ adoption of the card in Jember District. The data analysis method used was descriptive analysis using weighted average index analysis and binary logistic regression. The results showed that access to information and the certainty of benefits in obtaining subsidised fertilisers were included in the strong category influencing farmers’ perceptions of the card. This means that farmers have high enthusiasm for using the Farmer Card but are not supported by available information and facilities. Therefore, the role of extension workers and supporting facilities is needed to implement this program immediately.