Sustainability of Oil Palm and Sugar Palm Diversification in Rokan Hulu Regency: A Study of Economic, Ecological, and Social Dimensions Using the MDS Method

Yeni Kusumawaty (Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Riau, Riau 28292, Indonesia)
Risda Lenita Sari (Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Riau, Riau 28292, Indonesia)
Susy Edwina (Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Riau, Riau 28292, Indonesia)
Sispa Pebrian (Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Riau, Riau 28292, Indonesia)
Evy Maharani (Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Riau, Riau 28292, Indonesia)

Jurnal Ilmu Pertanian Indonesia
Vol. 31 No. 4 (2026): Jurnal Ilmu Pertanian Indonesia

Oil palm is a leading commodity that greatly contributes to community welfare. The potential of a sizable land area presents an opportunity to optimize land use through diversification with sugar palm plants. The purpose of this study was to analyze the sustainability of oil palm and sugar palm diversification in Rokan Hulu Regency, Riau Province, using the Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) method through Rap–Arenga software. This study used a survey method with a sample of 25 farmers chosen using the snowball sampling technique. The results of the analysis showed a sustainability index of 73.91 in the economic dimension (quite sustainable), 50.70 in the ecological dimension (quite sustainable), and 56.94 in the social dimension (quite sustainable). Sensitive lever attributes that have a significant influence include access to capital institutions in the economic dimension, the level of pest and disease attacks in the ecological dimension, and the views of farmers on diversification in the social dimension.  Key words: oil palm, diversification, sensitive attributes, sugar palm, sustainability