Production and Sale of Yam Bean by Farmer Small Holders through Roadside Stalls in Pong Pod Village, Ngong Sim Sub-District, Borabue District, Maha Sarakham Province

Abstract

Recently the number of roadside stalls selling agricultural products has been increasing along many main and secondary routes in the Northeast region of Thailand. Each of these roadside stalls sells agricultural products as a small business unit. One of the long well known roadside stalls is in Borabue district, Maha Sarakham province where yam bean production by small farmers has been well known in the region. It is imperative to understand their yam bean production system and marketing system. Therefore, this study aims to understand background of yam bean production development and marketing system of the roadside stalls in relation to agricultural system in the selected study site. Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) was mainly used in combination with questionnaire in this study. Nineteen key informants were selected for semistructure interview and 87 yam bean farmers were interviewed by the questionnaire. The results show that yam bean production system in this study has been operating for a long time and it is a local specific system. Roadside stall market selling yam bean was established by some small farmers who became entrepreneurial farmers and local middlemen when number of middlemen declined from higher cost production. In farming system aspect, farmers grow high value crop in small plot and plan their crop production to meet seasonal market demands. They act on their own without external assistant. The results reflected that the local small farmers could themselves develop their toward entrepreneurial capacity and marketing. However, roadside stalls on the shoulder of roads is illegal. To allow small farmers like yam bean farmers to continue and prosper, particularly farmers’ roadside stall, proper marketing channels and law enforcement should be carefully considered.