The Role of Communication Media in Increasing Skills and Value-Added Production of Beef Cattle Farming in Minahasa Regency

This study aims to analyze the role of communication media, both conventional and digital media, in increasing the skills and productivity of cattle farmers in Minahasa District, Indonesia. The research was carried out using survey and sampling methods by purposive sampling with the main sample criteria, namely: having a computer or smartphone that uses it as a source of information and innovation in beef cattle farming science and technology. Research problem: conventional media is increasingly being replaced by digital media with computer/smartphone facilities, where cattle farmers obtain information on livestock science and technology at any time and anywhere with an internet communication network. What are the roles of communication media, both conventional media and digital media, in improving the skills and productivties of cattle farmers in Minahasa Regency. To answer the problem, analyzes of the relationship between independent variables were used, namely the role of print media (X1), the role of classic electronic media (X2), and the role of internet electronic media (X3) with the dependent variable namely skills (Y1) in raising beef cattle and value added (Y2) to beef cattle production, and the effect of the cattle raising skill variable (Y1) on the added value variable of cattle production (Y2) using Pearson correlation analysis. The results of the analysis show that improving the skills of raising beef cattle in rural areas can be done by streamlining factors other than counseling/training in the field, also by utilizing digital communication media which are more populous. Beef cattle farming skills affect the added value of cattle farming, so that farmers' skills still need to be improved. The communication media factor, especially digital media, has become the dominant factor for improving cattle farming skills using digital electronic media (computers, tabs and smartphones). The technical skills of cattle farming due to digital communication media facilities affect the added value of both production and the economy of cattle farming, so that the skills of cattle farmers need to be improved through experience of science and technology content of cattle farming on digital communication media. Digital communication media that are often used by cattle farmers, such as social media YouTube, Facebook, blogs and others, which are increasingly being watched by cattle farmers.