Performance assessment of vegetable farming by the new farmers in a Land Reform Area of Thailand | |
| Author | Pilapan Koksee-amnuay |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.RD-14-02 |
| Subject(s) | Vegetable gardening--Thailand Vegetables--Evaluation--Thailand |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Regional and Rural Development Planning |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. RD-14-02 |
| Abstract | The research deals with assessment of vegetable farming performance of new farmers in in a land reform area in the northeast of Thailand. Main objectives of this research were to study participation of new farmers in training program and support activities provided by ALRO, to evaluate satisfaction of new farmers on training program attended and supporting activities obtained from ALRO, to assess vegetable farming performance and adaptations of the new farmers in vegetable farming practices in land reform area, to analyze factors affecting vegetable farming performance of new farmers and identify their challenges and needs and to provide recommendations to strengthen the vegetable farming performance of the new farmers in land reform area. The assessment of vegetable farming performance of new farmers was focused on technical aspects of growing lettuce comprising of land preparation, soil improvement, seedling, transplanting, watering, weeding, fertilizer application, pesticide and insecticide management and harvesting. New farmers from both upland and lowland were sampled in this research. A survey questionnaire was employed as a prime tool for data collection together with field observation, key informants interview and focus group discussion. The research largely applied a quantitative approach with the support of qualitative data. Key finding s showed that the training, demonstration plot, field visit, seminar including technical and financial support provided by ALRO were satisfied by new farmers which vegetable farming performance was promoted as the main agricultural activity. But they were also engaged in upland crop, fruit orchard and livestock raising but the vegetable was their source of their income. Due to bio - physical constraints of land, soil and water particularly in the upland, farmers had adapted their practice in land preparation, soil improvement, seedling, watering, transplanting and fertilizer application to suit with their farm land. Vegetable farming performance of new farmers was varied between upland and lowland farmers and between those with agricultural and non - agricultural experience. The upland farmers performed better in various technical aspects than the lowland framers although they had more difficulty in land unsuitability causing poor performance in land preparation and soil improvement and also water adequacy than the other. The new farmers who had longer agricultural experience performed relatively better on cultivation practices of vegetable framing. Main factors affected their better performance were rather similar between farmers with agricultural experience and those from the upland area consisting of size of cultivated area of vegetable and social factors including age, education level and farming experience. A set of recommendations were given to improve vegetable farming performance of new farmers and the project implementation of ALRO. These were to enhance several technical aspects of vegetable farming performance of new farmers and strengthen technical monitoring of farming activities to them, select suitable farmland, promote alternative farming activities and propose a new set of the selection criteria of new farmers to increase better farming performance in future |
| Year | 2014 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. RD-14-02 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Rural Development, Gender and Resources (RD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Soparth Pongquan |
| Examination Committee(s) | Thapa, Gopal B.;Ahmad, Mokbul Morshed |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC), Thailand |