Factors Affecting Farming at the Household Level in Accordance with the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy of Farmers in U-mong Municipality, Meuang District, Lamphun Province

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate: 1) socio-economic attributes of farmers in U-mong sub-district, Muang Lamphun district, Lamphun province; 2) knowledge, attitudes, and farming practice at the household level in accordance with the philosophy of sufficiency economy of the farmers; 3) factors effecting farming practice of the farmers; and 4) problems encountered and suggestions about farming practice at the household level in accordance with the philosophy of sufficiency economy. The simple group of study consisted of 272 farmers in U-mong sub-district, Muang Lamphun district, Lamphun province and they were obtained by two-stage sampling. A set of questionnaires was used data collection and analysis by using descriptive statistics i.e. frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Besides, inferential statistics was employed i.e. enter multiple regression analysis.This study was conducted to investigate: 1) socio-economic attributes of farmers in U-mong sub-district, Muang Lamphun district, Lamphun province; 2) knowledge, attitudes, and farming practice at the household level in accordance with the philosophy of sufficiency economy of the farmers; 3) factors effecting farming practice of the farmers; and 4) problems encountered and suggestions about farming practice at the household level in accordance with the philosophy of sufficiency economy. The simple group of study consisted of 272 farmers in U-mong sub-district, Muang Lamphun district, Lamphun province and they were obtained by two-stage sampling. A set of questionnaires was used data collection and analysis by using descriptive statistics i.e. frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Besides, inferential statistics was employed i.e. enter multiple regression analysis. Results of the study revealed that most of the respondents were made, 61 years old on average, married, and elementary school graduates and lower. They had 4 family members and 2 household workers on average. They had farming area for 3.56 rai with an income earned form agricultural sector for 86,234.30 Baht per year on average. They had experience in farming for 28 years on average and joined 3 agricultural groups on average. They contacted agricultural personal and joined educational trip for twice a year on average. Besides, they joined agricultural tradition or activities for 3 times a year on average. They received data or information about farming practice in accordance with the philosophy of sufficiency economy through various media for 27 times per month on average. The respondents’ perceived farming practice in accordance with sufficiency economy at a high level. They had a highest level of agreement in terms of their attitude towards farming practice in accordance with sufficiency economy. However, they had a high level of a high level of farming practice at the household level in accordance with sufficiency economy. Findings also showed that factors positively effecting with a statistical significance level about farming practices at the household level in accordance with sufficiency economy were: marital status, joining agricultural groups, joining educational trip or training, knowledge about sufficiency farming, and attitude towards sufficiency farming. However, farming area was a factor having a negative effect with a statistical significance level. For problems encountered in farming practice at the household level in accordance with sufficiency economy, it included water shortage in the dry season, disease and insect pests break out, high production costs, and low price of agricultural yields. The following were suggestions: 1) it should have the development of water sources for agricultural purposes; 2) support on body of knowledge and new agricultural technology; and 3) promotion of farmer group farming for selling agricultural yields.