Farmers' Opinion toward Rubber Tapping Technology of Rubber Authority of Thailand, Chanthaburi Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to study 1) Personal factors, economic factors, exposure of rubber
tapping technology of Rubber Authority of Thailand, Chanthaburi province. 2) Knowledge on rubber tapping
technology of Rubber Authority of Thailand, Chanthaburi province. 3) Farmers’ opinion toward rubber tapping
technology of Rubber Authority of Thailand, Chanthaburi province. 4) Problems and suggestions. The
population consisted of 150 farmers who had trained in rubber tapping technology program by Rubber
Authority of Thailand, Chanthaburi province. The data were collected by questionnaires. Statistical
analyses were frequency, percentage, arithmetic means, minimum, maximum and standard deviation.
The result revealed that 1) Farmers were male which an average age 45.67 years old, the level
of education was elementary, the average of household members was 4.03 persons, the average
of experience tapping was 9.84 years, the average of rubber plantation area was 16.71 rai, the average
of tapping area was 14.63 Rai, the most of rubber product was cup lump (58 percent), the average of
household labor was 1.81 persons, the average of hire labor average was 1.14 person, the average
of income was 214,716 Baht per year and the average of expenditure was 165,130 Baht per year, the
average of rubber plantation income was 135,888 Baht per year and the average of rubber production
cost was 33,210 Baht per year The exposures of rubber tapping technology of Rubber Authority of Thailand,
Chanthaburi province were agricultural officer, training and television. 2) The average of farmers had the
knowledge on rubber tapping technology of Rubber Authority of Thailand, Chanthaburi province at the
high level. 3) The average of farmers’ opinion on rubber tapping technology of Rubber Authority of Thailand,
Chanthaburi province was at the high level, the tapping method was at the high level, the tapping method
was at the high level and the benefit was at the high level. 4) Problem revealed included of expert tapper
labor less and rubber product was lower price. The finding that suggest the need of support of farmers
which Rubber Authority of Thailand should more support farmers with training program in Chanthaburi
province and value added the rubber product.