Para Rubber Intercropping of Farmers Phunphin District, Surat Thani Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to study: 1) individual factors, economic factors, exposure
to Para rubber intercropping information, knowledge of farmers in Para rubber intercropping 2) the status
of Para rubber intercropping of farmers 3) to find any problems and suggestions of farmers. The data were
collected from the population by interview schedule including 114 rubber plantation farmers in Phunphin
district, Surat Thani province, which participating on a small loan to supplement the occupational project
by plants group. The statistical analysis data were percentage, arithmetic means, standard deviation,
minimum and maximum.
The research results revealed that: 1) more half farmers were male (51.8 percent), while averaged
age 49.72 years, a high school education, household members most 4 people, experience in the rubber
plantation averaged 25.1 years. The average household income was 41,333.33 baht per month, averaged
of household expense was 24,140.34 baths per month. The agricultural area averaged 40.51 rai, that all
area of their own, the average area for Para rubber plantations were 33.02 rai, area could turn the latex
averaged 22.36 rai, with 2 rubber plantation workers, mostly household labor, employer to hire 2 people,
with revenue sharing from natural rubber was the owner of 60 and workers 40. Farmers get Para rubber
intercropping information from TV, others farmers and conferences. Measure knowledge in Para rubber
intercropping reveals that farmers possessed a height level knowledge (96.5 percent). 2) Para rubber
plantations landscape was mostly flat plains and sandy loam. Farmers had Para rubber intercropping; their
average was 10.62 rai by the area, supplement area Para rubber plant averaged age of 2.36 years. Most
intercropping plants were many kind of banana, chili, papaya, corn, pineapple, cucumber etc. Durian used
the duration of growing for a long time, cucumber used takes care of minimal time, pineapple was the most
average yield, turmeric was mostly monetize plants, vegetation came from nearby areas, mainly to prepare
the soil by plowing over ground, rain mostly, farmers lived mainly in chemical fertilizer, fungicides
and insecticides were used a minority, the most cause common disease was a fungus, harvest labor
productivity in the household, Mainly of output were purchased by merchants or vendors, farmers had
tend to grow intercropping plant in the same size area due to limited cultivated areas, farmers’ s opinion
intercropping plant were useful in helping to increase revenue. 3) They indicated that there were problems,
the farmers need more knowledge about the vegetation that could grow in Para rubber intercropping, Plant
treatment, the fertilizer substance using, prevention and eradication of diseases and pests that may be
required, soil test analysis was necessary.