The Smart Technology Acceptance of Large-Scale Rice Farmers in Bang Bo District, Samut Prakan Province

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Nowadays, smart technology has played a greater role in agriculture. Large-scale rice farmers in Bang Bo district, Samut Prakan province, are necessary to prepare and adapt promptly to smart agricultural technologies. This research aimed to study basic demographic factors, economic and social factors, adoption of smart technology, and different factors affecting farmers’ acceptance of smart technology in large-scale rice plots, Bang Bo district, Samut Prakan province.
Methodology: A sample of 116 large-scale rice farmers was randomly selected from the 162 large-scale rice members using an accidental sampling method. The interview schedule was used as a tool for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and F-test.
Main Results: Most of the farmers (72.41%) were male, with an average age of 61.06 years, and graduated with no formal education to primary school (56.90%). The number of household members was 1–4 people (52.59%). The average rice cultivation experience was 32.15 years. Most of them (84.48%) rent land to grow rice. The average rice planting area was 29.16 rai, with the planting of Phitsanulok 2 rice varieties at 30.17%. The average cost of growing rice was 4,926 baht/rai/season, and the average income from rice sales was 8,581.03 baht/rai/season. The
average rice yield was 953.53 kg/rai/season. The number of workers in the household was 1–2 people (64.66%). The funds came from Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives loans (59.06%). Farmers use technology to grow rice in the present and the future.
Conclusions: Overall, farmers were accepting smart technology at a high level (X = 3.50), and farmers with different ages, education, number of planting areas, and rice yields would differ in the acceptance of smart technology.