This article aims to uncover and analyze the achievement of objectives, accuracy of objectives, satisfaction,
and success of rural agribusiness development programs in empowering the poor in the Pesisir Selatan,
West Sumatera. This is a qualitative descriptive research type. A few poor communities are respondents
of this research. Interview, observation and documentation use as data collection techniques. The results
showed that the rural agribusiness development program has not been able to help the community as a
whole because there are combinations of farmer groups that have been effective and there is a combination
of farmer groups that have not been effective. Effective farmer group combinations are evidenced by
increasing income, group members, and assets. While the combination of farmer groups that have not
been effective is marked by community mentality that is difficult to change bad habit in using money for
ineffective purposes. It is concluded that rural agribusiness development programs has not been succeed
in empowering Pesisir Selatan community. The implication is poor community should be given more
intensive community empowerment by government through more effective strategies.
Key Words: Empowering programs, rural agribusiness.