Fermented Fish around the Ubol Ratana Dam: Development Approach for Enhancing Fermented Fish Production to Standard of Ban Non Por Daeng Fish Processing Community Enterprise, Non Sang District, Nong Bua Lamphu Province

Abstract

Fermented fish is an important agricultural product that is made by various communities that are based around the Ubol Ratana Dam (URD). A preliminary study of the community enterprises based around the URD showed that there were 115 community businesses that processed fish into fermented fish. However, only 10 of those enterprises had and were following standards’ certification. The other community-based enterprises, such as the Ban Non Por Daeng (BNPD) fish processing community enterprise located in Kok Yai sub-district, Non Sang district, Nong Bua Lam Phu province, operate their fermented fish products businesses without certification of standards. These observations led the researchers to examine how communities such as the Ban Non Por Daeng Fish Processing Community Enterprise (BNPD-FPCE) could take steps to ensure that their fermented fish production took place according to the relevant certified standards. Therefore, participatory research was conducted over the period of June 2013 to July 2014 in order to identify and decide upon fermented fish production development guidelines for the involved community-based enterprises. The results revealed that BNPD community was
an agricultural community that operated under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) guidelines of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand at URD. The needs assessment conducted indicated that the BNPD-FPCE faced 4 main developmental issues, which were as follows: 1) the need to improve production buildings and facilities
2) the need to bring production into line with standards 3) the need to develop better management and 4) the need to improve and expand product marketing. An initial action plan prepared to bring fermented fish production into line with standards includes the steps of coordination with agency partners, obtaining advice from fermented fish production experts in order to improve knowledge and skills, visiting fermented fish community enterprises that currently have and operate according to standards certification, and lastly collaboration by all parties to obtain certification and upgrade production processes according to those standards. Finally, the research points to the following 4 points of action that need to be followed in order to raise the BNPD-FPCE fermented fish production to standard; 1) buildings should be developed according to the guidelines of primary GMP 2) product and production methods need to be improved to meet food and drug (FDA) standards, local product standards, OTOP standards and relevant certification standards 3) management should be developed through increased funding and staff members and 4) marketing activities should be improved by expanding marketing staff and increased use of online resources.