THE ROLE OF YOUNG FARMERS GROUP IN NEW MEDIA UTILIZATION FOR YOUNG HORTICULTURAL AGRIPRENEURS IN YOGYAKARTA SPECIAL REGION, INDONESIA

Purpose of the study: This study is to analyze the characteristics of young farmers in horticultural agripreneurs, the role of young farmers group, the utilization of new media in horticultural agripreneurs, and the influence of the characteristics of young farmers and the role of groups on the utilization of new media in horticultural entrepreneurs Methodology: This research used the survey method. A simple random sampling method was used in selecting 300 of 604 young farmers, consisting of 250 men and 50 women. The role of young farmers group and the utilization of new media variables are measured using a 5-score rating scale, which includes; (1) never, (2) rarely, (3) sometimes, (4) often, (5) always. Data were analyzed using percentages, mean scores, and multiple regression tests at p ≤ 0.05. Main Findings: The results showed that young farmers most often use smartphones to access social media. The majority of farmers use WhatsApp for their daily communication. Factors influencing the utilization of new media (Y) included gender (X1), an education level (X2), length of business (X3), and the role of farmer group (X4) together (Rsquare) of 34.7%. The role of young farmer groups and sex had a positive effect on the utilization of new media; length of business had a negative effect, while education level did not affect the use of new media (p≤0.05). Applications of this study: The government is expected to encourage young agripreneurs in Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia, who are just starting a business to utilize new media by empowering groups to conduct training and learning to become successful young agripreneur. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study found that the role of young farmers group as a means of social learning is very important in horticultural agripreneurs, especially for young farmers in rural areas who are just starting a business with the use of new media to develop their businesses.


INTRODUCTION
Advances in information technology have changed human behavior in all aspects of life, not least in agriculture. Utilization of information technology provides an excellent opportunity for the development of the agricultural sector, but most farmers have not used information technology to support Farming (Kutwa et al., 2016), (Agu, 2013). This is indicated by data that only 20.45% of farmers use new media to support Farming (KOMINFO RI, 2015).
The role of young farmer groups is very important in rural Farming (Kutwa et al., 2016). Activities of young farmers can be accommodated in groups, including discussions, visits, and creating a horticultural auction market (Raya, 2014), (Magnan et al., 2015). New media is one of the most effective tools in supporting group activities. The role of groups in increasing the use of new media can be an effort to develop horticultural agriculture. The characteristics of the same age are considered quite useful as a vehicle for mutual learning between them. The occurrence of a social learning process among young farmers can develop their Farming. The effectiveness of social learning in this group of young farmers is found in the gardening community (Rogge et al., 2020). The effectiveness of the social learning process among young peers of the same age is considered more effective as (Santrock, 2012) opinion states that friends become important in meeting social needs. Positive peer groups will have a good influence on youth, and vice versa. The group of young farmers as a factor that plays an important role is also found on (Conley & Udry, 2001), (Noorani, 2015), and (Hoffmann et al., 2007) research which states that young farmers consider the success of family, friends, or neighbors to be motivations in doing business. The importance of grouping these young farmers can be used to discuss a lot of new information such as new media for agriculture. Schroeder (2018) states that new media is a variety of communication technology devices that share the same characteristics which, in addition to being made possible by digitalization and its full availability for personal use as a means of communication, with the main feature of new media being interconnectedness, and interactivity between personal and mass. New media in this research was the internet through smartphones. The function of new media in agriculture can make farm activities easier, as a result of (FAO, 2017) research. Farmers use the internet to obtain Based on the explanation above, this research will contribute to the role of groups in entrepreneurship and its influence on the use of new media. Based on the explanation above, this research will contribute to the role of groups in entrepreneurship and their influence on the use of new media. The findings of this study are expected to explain that the group's goals in the current era of information technology are still significant, and can even support the use of new media to be more effective in developing business. Amid farmers' current regeneration problems, the use of information technology can be an attraction for youth to enter the world of agriculture.

Theoretical Framework
This research uses Social Learning Theory from Albert Bandura which states that a person's behavior is influenced by their environment. Someone will follow the behavior of others who are considered interesting and useful. Social learning can run effectively with a role model. Social Learning Theory by Bandura states that steps of the social learning process are; attention, retention, motor reproduction, reinforcement, and motivation (Harinie et al., 2017), (David, 2015), (Schneider et al., 2009)  . The average teenager spends 6.5 hours a day and continues to increase in terms of online media (Santrock, 2012). If this trend can be put to good use, it becomes an opportunity to develop the agricultural sector to become more modern and attractive to the younger generation.

Hypothesis
Personal characteristics and external factors can influence young farmers in agricultural entrepreneurship. (Sulaksana, 2011). Hypotheses test is employed to find out whether there is influence between variables in this research model. This effect is significant if the F-calculated value is higher than the F-table at a significance level of p ≤ 0.01.   Table 1 shows that the majority of young farmers were male (83.33%). Farming work requires physical strength, so the role of the male is more needed in cultivation. This result is following research Subejo, et al (2018), which states that agricultural activities especially production are mostly carried out by men. Regarding the education level, most of the young farmers (74%) graduated from High School / Vocational High School, This data is following Anwarudin, et al (2019) and Rasmikayati, et al (2017), which states that young farmers have a relatively high level of education than older farmers. It is expected that the adoption and innovation process can be better, especially in the use of new media (Makalew et al., 2013). While the average length of business was 8.25 years.

Young Farmers Group in Horticultural Entrepreneurship
Farmers' group is a group of farmers formed by farmers based on shared interests, shared social, economic, and resource conditions, shared commodities, and familiarity to improve and develop member businesses (Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia Number 33/Permentan/SM.23/7/2016). The role of groups in agricultural entrepreneurship includes the community as a vehicle for learning, cooperation, and building networks. Table 2 shows that the role of the group is rarely to support their agricultural entrepreneurs (2.92). The role of community is beneficial in building networks (3.21), because building networks is essential for developing businesses, especially in terms of marketing. Efforts to build networks can be made with markets, stakeholders and the government, and the private sector. It is consistent with the results of Fischer & Qaim (2012) and (Chell & Baines's, 2000) research, which states that business networking is one of the group's social capital that can improve marketing performance. The group as a vehicle for cooperation (3.08) can create an atmosphere of mutual help and closeness between members. The cooperation carried out, for example, the supply of seeds and fertilizer, as well as the management of agricultural equipment and machinery in groups. Farmers need to work together in groups or associations so that they can produce more efficiently, be able to deal with intermediary traders and markets more strongly (

Utilization of New Media in Agricultural Entrepreneurship
The use of new media in agripreneurship is the effort of young farmers in finding information, communication, and transaction using new media. New media in this research was the internet through smartphones, as (

WhatsApp application because it was easier and cheaper. This research is similar to CK & G, (2016), which states that
WhatsApp is the practical use of social media and mostly preferred for related groups. According to Table 4, the mean of using new media support their Farming is ( =3.02). In the salak commodity field area, the research found that young farmers groups combine the potential of agriculture with tourism, and they do promotions using websites and other social media (Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp). According to Table 4, the highest mean use of new media for young farmers was to look for information (3.29). Young farmers most often seek information about innovations in cultivation such as drip irrigation, mulching, and pest management. They rarely use it to find information on capital, because they use groups or banks to borrow capital. The search for information carried out can be genuinely beneficial for Farming, and farmers are expected to have excellent information literacy skills. Information literacy is the ability to search, evaluate, and use the information effectively so that users can achieve benefit (Raya et al., 2018). The ability of functional information literacy will foster creativity in entrepreneurship. This study found that creativity in cultivation, such as planting various kinds of commodities, mulch use, spacing, and water management, are some of the innovations made by young farmers in the Special Region of Yogyakarta.
The second means is to establish communication (2.88). Interaction among young farmers is the most frequent activity, on the other hand, communication with input production providers is rarely done (2,88). The need for groups with peers is an essential aspect of social development at a young age. According to Vidanapthirana, et al (2019) the role of new media in young farmers has led to the birth of social media-based farming communities such as Facebook, Whatsapp, and other applications to communicate with one another. This is based on Table 3 that the use of social media in young The last mean was in making transactions (2.87). In the transaction indicator, young farmers most often use new media to interact with buyers, whereas what is rarely done is to use e-commerce to increase marketing because of the lack of understanding and skills in operating e-commerce (2,87). The transaction process is usually done with traders in the management of the chili auction market. This research is similar to Rusdiyana (2018), which states that the group auction market is the choice of farmers because it is most profitable for farmers. In salak farmers with tourists, meanwhile onion farmers with traders, whereas direct communication with buyers has started with some farmers and has personal skills, not through groups, according to Jamaluddin (2013) research. Training and human resource capabilities based on groups are needed so that farmers can using agricultural application systems to support marketing.  Note: *Significant on the level of 0.05, ** Significant at 0.01

Source: SPSS version 24
This research found that sex has a positive effect on the utilization of new media,(man multiplied by 1, woman multiplied by 0). The meaning is young men farmers use more new media than women because agricultural entrepreneurs require more physical abilities. Business experience has a significant adverse effect on the use of new media, meaning that the longer the farmer conducts agripreneur, the lower the level of utilization of new media. Each increase the length of business of 1 (one) point can decrease the utilization of new media by 0.074 points. The research shows that farmers who have long been in entrepreneurship have experience in cultivation and networks that have developed, and are running stably. Research with similar results as Kabir (2012), reported that long experienced farmers were not interested in adding skills in utilizing new media.
The role of groups has a significant effect on the use of new media (Table 5). Each increase in the role of the group of 1 (one) point can increase the utilization of new media by 0.051 points. Farmers who join the group will get a more developed opportunity than young farmers who have not participated in the group. Interaction in groups allows the process of social learning. Utilizing new media supported by social learning processes in this group can help entrepreneurial success. Hariadi (2011) states that strong interaction between members will allow many ideas to emerge so that the group can function to increase success as a unit of learning, cooperation, production, and business. The success of the social learning process can improve the ability to take advantage of new media.
The use of new media for young farmers can be in the form of communication and direct transactions with consumers so that they get better prices. Young farmers groups have used information technology to empower their members through developing entrepreneurship, accessing market opportunities, trying to solve business problems, and increasing market expansion. It is important to strengthen young farmers who are just starting a business because it will influence the use of new media, such as Faith's research (2013). The emergence of new media in agriculture can make it easier for farmers to access information, establish communication and transactions. Developing the ability of young farmers to use new media is one of the most effective efforts, as a result of research Prayoga, et al (2019) and Lokeswari (2016) that agriculture will advance with information technology.