Opinion of Farmers toward Pak-Wanpa (Melientha suavis Pierre) Cultivation in Nongbua Sub-district, Ban Mo District, Saraburi Provincee

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to study 1) demographic factors, 2) economic factors,
3) behavior of life regarding to sufficiency economy, 4) media exposure toward agricultural information,
and 5) the opinion of farmers toward Pak-Wanpa cultivation and to find relationships between
demographic factors, economic factors, behavior of life regarding to sufficiency economy of farmers, and
media exposure toward agricultural information with the opinion of farmers toward Pak-Wanpa.Samples
consisted 160 Pak-Wanpa farmers. Data were collected by using questionnaires. Statistical analyses were
frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum and Chi-square.

According to the research, the results showed that farmers were male with an average age of
54.46 years old, attaining an elementary education or lower. The average areas of Pak-Wanpa growing
were 3.06 rai.They got information about agriculture from people media from community leaders,
mass media from television. Most of farmers never got specialized media. Behavior of life regarding to
sufficiency economy of farmers with the average total was at the high level. Moreover, the opinion of
farmers toward Pak-Wanpa cultivation with the average total was at the high level. The testing of
hypotheses indicated that household labors, hired labors, expense of Pak-Wanpa cultivation had
relationship with the opinion of farmers toward Pak-Wanpa cultivation in cultivar and propagation part.
Education level, areas of cultivation, expense of cultivation, behavior of life regarding to sufficiency
economy of farmers in reasonableness part, self-immunity part and well-rounded knowledge part had
relationship with the opinion of farmers in pest management part. Behavior of life regarding to sufficiency
economy of farmers in reasonableness part and self-immunity part had relationship with the opinion of
farmers in harvesting techniques part. Moreover, behavior of life regarding to sufficiency economy of
farmers in reasonableness part had relationship with the opinion of farmers toward Pak-Wanpa cultivation
in costs and benefits part at 0.01 level of significance.