Selection of Agricultural Techniques for Farmers in Northern Kedah Using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process

Abstract

Agriculture plays a vital role in sustaining human life by maintaining land, cultivating crops, and raising livestock for food, medicine, and other uses. It also contributes significantly to national economies and global food security. This study uses the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) method to identify the most efficient agricultural practices for northern part of Kedah farmers, determine the criteria for efficient farming, evaluate alternatives, and rank them according to their effectiveness. Three alternatives, which are conventional, organic, and technological practices, as well as five criteria, including satisfaction, knowledge, environment, practicality, and economic, were evaluated. According to the findings, knowledge is the most important factor (weight: 0.5436), whereas satisfaction (0.0523) was considered less important. With a global weight of 44.32%, the technological approach was the most successful agricultural method among the alternatives. Organic methods were the least preferred (25.69%), while conventional methods came in second (29.99%). These results highlight how crucial knowledge and technology are to obtaining effective and sustainable farming methods. In addition to giving policymakers and organisations useful information for guiding investments and operations, this study offers farmers a structured framework for evaluating and carrying out appropriate farming practices. It draws attention to the necessity of region-specific solutions and provides a starting point for more study to improve methods of sustainable agriculture in other areas.