Adoption of Crop Growing Methods under the Standards of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) of Farmers, Mon Ngo Royal Project Development Center Mae Tang District, Chiang Mai

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate: 1) socio-economic attributes of farmers; 2) adoption of crop growing methods under the standards of good agricultural practice of the farmers; 3) factors effecting the adoption of crop growing methods of the farmers; and 4) problems encountered and suggestions on crop growing methods under the standards of good agricultural practice of the farmers. The sample group consisted of 161 farmers, Mon Ngo Royal Project Development Center. Interview schedule was used for data collection and analyzed by using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and stepwise multiple regression.
Results of the study were as follows: 1) Most of the informants (72.05%) were male, 39.12 years old on average, married, and upper secondary school graduates. They had been growing crops under the standards of good agricultural practice for 7.70 years on average. The informants had 4.30 family members and 3.09 household workforces on average. Most crops grown were vegetables with an income earned from it for 76,857.03 Baht per year on average. The informants contacted agricultural extension workers for 1.28 times per year and was mostly on harvest and postharvest practice. They attended training on GAP for 67 time per year on average and mostly at Mon Ngo Royal Project Development Center. The informants were farmer group members for 81 group particularly on the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative fond most (55.90%). They had knowledge about crop growing in accordance with GAP at a high level and they had a good attitude towards the crop growing. 2) They had a high level of the adoption of crop growing in accordance with GAP; 3) the factor effecting the adoption of crop growing in accordance with GAP was knowledge about crop growing (GAP) which resulted in a positive effect and altitude towards. Crop growing in accordance with GAP Sig01) and  .05, respectively.
Regarding problems encountered and suggestions about crop growing (GAP) of the informants, it was found as follows: 1) Mon Ngo Royal Project center could not buy the whole yields in some seasons so agricultural extension workers of the center and the informants should make a plan on crop growing (GAP). Some of the informants especially the elderly were illiterate and could not make data records so it should have training for their off springs to help them. Besides, some of the informants faced the problems in diseases and insects damaging their Japanese pumpkin so it should have a resource person or a specialist to extend knowledge about diseases and insects prevention.